A Most Violent Year Page #16

They look at each other with concern.

91

ANNA:

You’re going to see your little

brother?

ABEL:

First thing.

ANNA:

And Peter?

ABEL:

Probably.

As they look at each other ABEL

ANNA:

This is all worth it.

He pauses just long enough to think.

ABEL:

Of course.

A sense of caring and resolve comes over them. At least now

they know what needs to be done.

ABEL (CONT’D)

You should get to bed.

ANNA:

I’ll be up.

ABEL:

I love you.

ANNA:

I love you too.

ABEL turns to go upstairs as ANNA starts in again with the

machine.

INT. HALLWAY, OUTSIDE OF JULIAN’S APARTMENT - DAY

ANDREW stands in the hallway about to knock, but he waits for

a beat. He knocks.

The door opens to a young woman, presumably JULIAN’S wife,

LUISA.

ANDREW WALSH:

Is Julian here?

92

LUISA:

No.

ANDREW WALSH:

Abel would like to speak with him.

To help him.

LUISA:

I will tell him.

JULIAN steps into the frame from behind her.

EXT./INT. LARGE LATE-MODEL AMERICAN CAR, PARKED - DAY

A DRIVER is sitting in the driver’s seat. ANDREW walks up and

gets in the front seat. JULIAN gets into the back and looks

over at ABEL who is sitting next to him. They drive off and

nobody says a word for a very, very long time.

EXT. EMPTY PARKING LOT - DAY

The car finally pulls into a large empty parking lot. For a

couple beats JULIAN has a look on his face that he may be

getting rubbed out.

Then off in the distance we see two cop cars. The car pulls

up to them and stops. ABEL and the DRIVER get out of the car

without a word, but ANDREW stays and turns around and now

gives him a total debrief.

JULIAN:

He’s turning me in?

ANDREW looks at him without much remorse.

ANDREW WALSH:

Of course we are turning you in.

You have put everything that man

has worked for for the last 20

years at risk. If it was up to me

we would be dealing with this in a

very different way.

JULIAN:

But I know things...

This causes ANDREW to turn quickly back to him with as sharp

a look as he has.

ANDREW WALSH:

Really?

JULIAN:

Yes.

ANDREW WALSH:

And what things do you know?

JULIAN looks back at him.

ANDREW WALSH (CONT’D)

I strongly suggest you think that

through before you answer it.

Because even if you did, what does

it do for you? Nothing. There is

nothing there for you to gain.

Nothing.

JULIAN:

I’m sorry.

ANDREW WALSH:

I am too.

ANDREW now changes his tone.

ANDREW WALSH (CONT’D)

They say they have you firing four

shots, is that right?

JULIAN:

I don’t know.

ANDREW WALSH:

Where’s the gun?

JULIAN stutters for a moment, then.

JULIAN:

I threw it in the river.

ANDREW WALSH:

Good. Your background check with us

says you have never been arrested,

is that true?

JULIAN:

Why is this putting everything at

risk?

ANDREW WALSH:

Have you ever been arrested?

JULIAN:

No.

94

ANDREW WALSH:

Because no bank will touch us right

now. So we can’t close on the new

property. And he’s going to lose

everything on his deposit.

This sits heavily on JULIAN. ANDREW hands him a card.

ANDREW WALSH (CONT’D)

This is a lawyer who will meet you

when they bring you to the station.

You no longer work for us. You’ve

been fired. But Abel wants to pay

for the lawyer. So... this guy

should be able to help you. Good

luck.

With that JULIAN gets out of the car. ABEL is standing there.

They meet.

JULIAN:

I’m sorry.

ABEL:

I know.

JULIAN:

I was scared.

ABEL:

I know.

JULIAN:

Aren’t you scared?

ABEL:

Sometimes.

JULIAN:

What do you do?

ABEL thinks this through long and hard.

ABEL:

I have always been much more scared

of failure than anything else.

JULIAN:

I...

ABEL:

It wasn’t always like this.

95

JULIAN:

Are you ruined?

ABEL:

Not today... but by the end of the

week... maybe.

JULIAN:

I’m sorry.

ABEL:

Good...

JULIAN:

No... I am not strong.

ABEL:

That does not have to be true.

JULIAN:

Trust me... I am not... I’m sorry.

With that JULIAN walks across the parking lot towards the

POLICE to turn himself in. ANDREW walks up behind ABEL and

stands there looking.

ANDREW WALSH:

I’m late. I will meet you at four.

ABEL:

I’m gonna try to get us a little

more time.

The three COPS are standing waiting as JULIAN walks towards

them. ABEL turns around, facing the camera, and closes his

eyes in sadness.

With ABEL in the foreground we see JULIAN make it halfway to

the COPS, then he stops.

COP 1

Hey.

ABEL’S face tells us he knows what is coming.

JULIAN sets off running. Before the COPS can get close to him

he is off. ABEL turns and sees what is happening. He does not

follow chase. His head just drops.

96

EXT. VARIOUS 1980’S URBAN DECAY LANDSCAPES

We are now with JULIAN again, running. But as this chase

continues we see his face turn from fear, to desperation, to

a creeping sense of evil. He does not know how it has come to

this, but as he jumps down from fences and runs across

deserted lots we see that his weakness is turning.

As he runs through some of the most bombed-out, destroyed

sections of Queens, he just never stops. With each step his

fear turns to... anger.

EXT. BLOWN-OUT BUILDING

He stops, collapses, and hides behind a blown-out building

wall just as a COP CAR drives by. He starts to almost cry,

but then it again becomes something else. His survival

instinct is taking over and we are not sure what will become

of it. Anger.

INT. OLDEST HASIDIC BUSINESSMAN’S LIVING ROOM - DAY

ABEL sits across from the oldest Hasidic member of the

family, JOSEPH, from the first scene.

ABEL:

Thank you for seeing me.

JOSEPH:

Of course.

ABEL:

I need more time.

JOSEPH:

Of course you do.

ABEL:

I know our agreement doesn’t allow

for that. But... I need more time.

JOSEPH:

Why?

This takes ABEL back a bit.

ABEL:

Thank you for asking. Many, many

reasons.

97

JOSEPH:

It’s a difficult time to do

business.

ABEL:

Yes... it is.

JOSEPH:

I’ll give you three more days. Then

it’s over.

ABEL:

Thank you.

INT. ASSISTANT DA’S OFFICE - DAY

ANDREW sits across from LAWRENCE and DEPUTY LANGE. They wait

while LAWRENCE writes something down on a pad in front of

him. He finishes.

A.D.A. LAWRENCE

So. I should start by thanking you

for your assistance in... in

attempting to bring in your driver?

ANDREW WALSH:

We didn’t think he’d react that

way.

A.D.A. LAWRENCE

Yes... Well, the officers there

didn’t set it up very well on their

end either.

ANDREW WALSH:

I’m sorry.

A.D.A. LAWRENCE

We are looking for him.

ANDREW WALSH:

So are we... it’s very sad. He was

very close to Abel.

A.D.A. LAWRENCE

I understand. Well... Ms. Lange.

DEPUTY LANGE:

It has been brought to our

attention that it might be

beneficial on your end to resolve

this issue in a time sensitive way.

ANDREW WALSH:

Possibly.

DEPUTY LANGE:

So we have prepared an offer for

you to review.

They slide the offer across the table. ANDREW opens it and

gives it a once over.

Rate this script:3.0 / 1 vote