Almost Famous Page #14

64 INT. HOTEL ROOM -- NIGHT64

The phone rings. Estrella answers.

ESTRELLA:

William's room.

INT. ROLLING STONE OFFICE -- NIGHT

Ben Fong-Torres is calling from Rolling Stone.

BEN:

Can I please speak to him? This is

Ben Fong-Torres at Rolling Stone.

Estrella panics, hangs up quickly, as if the phone has just

caught fire.

ESTRELLA:

I think I just messed up!

65 INT. RADIO STATION -- NIGHT -- SAME TIME65

Quince raises his head and continues on-the-air. The same

song is still ending.

QUINCE:

Look at the dogs, wearing the funny

hats. Juggling just for you. Freaks

and family...

Penny shoots William a look. Do you believe this guy?

QUINCE (cont'd)

It's Quince, with Stillwater. Here.

Live. It's the Night Circus.

The band scoots closer to the microphone, ready to talk. Quince

continues, looking meaningfully at the band. They are

waiting... eager for a chance to speak.

QUINCE (cont'd)

Every minute a baby is born somewhere..

Life. Death. Hermetically sealed

bags of human emotion. Bags of love...

bags of kindness?

(suddenly, turns)

How'd you get together?

As Jeff eagerly speaks, Quince lowers his head and listens...

feels... the words of his guests.

JEFF:

Well... not to get into a "me" thing...

this is Jeff talking... but I did start

the band, some time, actually, ago.

This is back when we were the Jeff

Bebe band, and I placed an ad in a

magazine called Peaches looking for a

guitarist and Russell Hammond answered.

Quince nods, head bowed, swaying slowly.

QUINCE:

(with deep understanding)

Peaches.

Jeff watches Quince's head lower. It's hard to know when to

talk with Quince. The depth of his mellowness is tough to get

in rhythm with.

JEFF:

I think he was a gift from God,

actually. Nobody plays like Russell

Hammond.

RUSSELL:

(sorta moved)

Well, sh*t. Thank you.

He instantly realizes he's slipped, on the air.

RUSSELL (cont'd)

Ooops. Better hit the delay button.

All eyes turn to Quince, whose head stays down, grooving to

some inner beat. He says nothing. The band looks at each

other. We become increasingly aware that Quince may now be

asleep. Long silence. William shares an amazed look with

Penny. Quince is definitely asleep. Russell leans forward

and continues talking quietly, with hilarious sincerity.

RUSSELL (cont'd)

Okay - we're talking now, right? Why

the f*** do you wait until and interview

in Arizona to say something nice about

me. Why don't you say it to my f***ing

face sometime? Because I tell you

every time I think you nailed something.

JEFF:

Everybody pays you compliments. It's

not my f***ing job to kiss your f***ing

ass all the time.

RUSSELL:

Well then who's f***ing job is it?

Because my ass is dying for a kiss.

And I know yours is too.

DICK:

It's my f***ing job. You're all

geniuses. And let me just add this

thought - smegma.

Penny covers her mouth as offers a look of absurdity to William.

He offers one back, as laughs are stifled throughout the room.

William shares a look. Quince is still deeply asleep, as the

usually quiet tony leans forward to speak.

TONY:

Feces.

He cracks himself up, silently. Quince snaps awake, fully in-

stride.

QUINCE:

The dong is called "Love Thing." Your

mind is Starting to take effect.

They're all here to see you swallow

fire. You scream soundlessly... on the

Night Circus. It's Quince, with

Stillwater.

"Love Thing" takes over, as Quince swivels in the chair.

QUINCE (cont'd)

I thought that went well.

66 INT. RENTAL CAR -- NIGHT 66

Adrenalized laughter. The whole band is crammed into a medium-

sized rental car. Penny half on William's lap, half on

Russell's.

RUSSELL:

(to William)

See, this is what nobody writes about!

The in-between times! This! Us!

Right now!!

67 INT. WILLIAM'S HOTEL ROOM67

The phone is ringing. Estrella emerges from the bathroom with

no make-up and a t-shirt. She picks up the phone. Across the

room, Sapphire signs for room service. Now she is far too

made-up. The t.v. radio plays Free's "Fire and Water" in the

b.g.

ESTRELLA:

(suspiciously)

Hello?

INTERCUT:

INT. WILLIAM'S HOUSE -- NIGHT

It's Mom on the phone.

ELAINE:

(measured, very proper)

May I speak with William please?

ESTRELLA:

(cheerfully)

He's not here. I think he's in the

bar with the Band. They just got back

from the radio station. Is this Maryann

with the pot?

Silence.

ESTRELLA (cont'd)

Hello?

ELAINE:

No this isn't Maryann with the pot.

This is Elaine... his Mother.

Estrella physically recoils.

ESTRELLA:

(cringing)

I thought you were English.

ELAINE:

Could you please give him a message?

Could you tell him to call home

immediately? And could you also tell

him -

(at full power)

I know what's going on.

ESTRELLA:

Alright. Okay. But I'm just going to

say this, and I'm going to stand by

it.

(can't help herself)

You should be really proud of him.

'Cause I know guys... and I'll bet you

do too. And he respects women, and he

likes women, and let's just pause and

appreciate a man like that. You

created him out of thin air, and you

raised him right, and we're all looking

out for him. And that's more than

I've ever said to my own parents, so

there you go.

(silence)

This is the maid speaking, by the way.

68 INT. HOTEL LOBBY -- NIGHT68

Russell and William sit in two large red-leatherette seats in

the hotel lobby. William shuffles through many pages of

questions written in small script. His tape recorder microphone

sits balanced on the chair.

WILLIAM:

(very professional)

Now that you're starting to be

successful, you had twenty-six years

to write your first Album... and you'll

have maybe four months for the second.

Do you worry that the pressure of the

business will get in the way of the

original joy of making your music? Or

-

Russell blinks. The all-consuming issues of his life are right

in front of him.

RUSSELL:

Whoa!

(laughing)

I need three more beers and my guitar

before I can answer that question.

Let's take a walk.

69 EXT. HOTEL POOL AREA - NIGHT69

Russell walks the outskirts of the pool area with William.

William follows him through the sliding glass door to his room,

facing the pool. Russell grabs his guitar. They stand for a

moment, unheard by the others, and regard the living portrait

twenty yards in front of them. The off-limits after-hours

pool area has been overtaken by the Stillwater tour members.

Jeff Bebe sits in a chair nearby. Dick laughs at a joke.

Always the life of the party, Penny Lane dispenses stolen towels

from a maid cart. And she is the first to slip into the pool

for some after-hours, against-the-rules swimming. Effortlessly,

she turns a collection of people into a party. They regard

her, well out of earshot of the others.

RUSSELL:

For a minute I thought you were actually

a real journalist... which is... you

know, it's great.

(beat)

Shut that thing off, and I'll tell you

the truth.

William shuts his tape recorder off.

WILLIAM:

It's off.

RUSSELL:

Look. I trust you. I'm going to lay

this right on you. Just make us look

cool.

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