Being John Malkovich Page #17

CUT TO:

INT. DRESSING ROOM - A FEW MINUTES LATER

Malkovich watches himself in his dressing table mirror.

Maxine enters, flops herself down on the couch and lights

up a cigarette.

MAXINE:

You'd better turn on the pyrotechnics,

lover, 'cause right now you're running

neck and neck with the dead president.

And you're both in last place.

Malkovich continues to watch himself in the mirror, nods his

head.

CUT TO:

INT. CATWALK ABOVE STAGE - CONTINUOUS

Mantini leans against a rail and smokes a cigarette. Charles

Nelson Reilly, in a tuxedo, confers with him in hushed tones.

CHARLES NELSON REILLY

You're doing beautifully, my boy. I

wept at the speech about your wife.

Flemmer materializes behind Mantini

CHARLES NELSON REILLY

What the hell? Nyong-nyong!

Mantini spins around to face Flemmer. Reilly makes a break

for it. Flemmer points a finger and Reilly freezes in

mid-strut. Flemmer then points a finger at Mantini, and he,

too, freezes. Flemmer picks up the giant wooden controls

for the marionette, and pulls a copy of the play from his

pocket.

CUT TO:

INT. BROADHURST STAGE - NIGHT

We watch the second act in progress. The Truman puppet pace

as he delivers a monologue. Somehow he doesn't even seem to

be a puppet anymore, so subtle and graceful are his

movements and the changes in his facial expressions. It's

as if there's a giant actual Harry Truman on stage.

HARRY S. TRUMAN PUPPET

I can hear the creature's voice. It's

calling me out of the black cave of

the Psyche. I shove in my dim little

torch, and there he stands -- waiting

for me. He raises his matted head. He

opens his great, square teeth and says

(mocking)

'Why? ... Why me? ... Why --

ultimately -- Me? ... Do you really

imagine you can account for Me?

Totally, infallibly, inevitably

account for Me? ... Poor Dr. Dysart!'

Malkovich watches impressed and a little scared by this

bravura performance. He glances out into the audience and

sees a silent, rapt crowd.

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. BROADHURST STAGE - A BIT LATER

Malkovich is delivering a monologue. Acting up a storm.

During Malkovich's speech, Truman repeatedly attempts to

upstage him, nodding his head, looking thoughtful, raising

his ten foot eyebrows in surprise...

MALKOVICH:

Eyes! ... White eyes -- never closed!

Eyes like flames -- coming -- coming!

... God seest! ... God seest! ... NO!

CUT TO:

EXT. NEW YORK STREET - CONTINUOUS

A man hole cover is pushed off. Lotte climbs out onto the

street. She is dirty but determined.

CUT TO:

INT. BROADHURST STAGE - LATER STILL

Malkovich is in convulsions on the floor. Big dramatic

convulsions. Truman scoops him up, and places him on the

bench. Malkovich continues with the convulsions, milking

it. Truman speaks.

HARRY S. TRUMAN PUPPET

Here ... Here ... Sssh ... Sssh ...

Calm now ... Lie back. Just lie back!

Now breathe in deep. Very deep. In ...

Out ... In ... Out ... That's it ...

In. Out .. In ... Out ...

Malkovich is breathing insanely now, trying to keep the

focus on himself. Flemmer is in the catwalks, watching the

crowd. The audience is watching Malkovich.

AUDIENCE MEMBER:

(to his wife)

That Malkovich puppet is a damn fine

actor.

FLEMMER:

(blood boiling)

Bastard is stealing my thunder.

Malkovich and Truman on the stage. Truman is pacing,

swirling, dancing, juggling enormous bowling pins as he

talks.

HARRY S. TRUMAN PUPPET

All right! I'll take it away! He'll be

delivered from madness. What then?

He'll feel himself acceptable! What

then?

Malkovich has upPed his convulsions now. He watches Truman

out of the corner of his eye while writhing tormentedly on

the bench. He levitates. Spins in mid-air. Falls on all

fours and does an uncanny impression of a yelping dog.

Truman watches Malkovich, continues to speak. But now, when

he talks, fire comes out of his mouth.

HARRY S. TRUMAN PUPPET (CONT'D)

I'll heal the rash on his body. I'll

erase the welts cut into his body by

flying manes.

The audience "ooohs" at the flames. Malkovich rips off his

clothes and convulses into the dying swan-bit from "Swan

Lake." The audience applauds. Truman continues his speech,

now transforming himself into an actual 60 foot swan and

flying around the auditorium as he speaks.

HARRY S. TRUMAN PUPPET (CONT'D)

You won't gallop anymore, Alan. Horses

will be quite safe. You'll save your

pennies every week, till you can

change that scooter into a car...

The audience watches the giant swan overhead, necks craned,

in awe. Malkovich sighs. He is out of his league. He goes

into a remarkable tap dance routine and sings "Mr.

Bojangles", but nobody even looks at the stage. The giant

swan bursts into flames, flies back onto the stage, burns

to a crisp, then rises from his ashes as the actual Harry S.

Truman. Truman looks confused and disoriented, as if just

raised from the dead.

ACTUAL TRUMAN:

Where am I? Aren't I dead?

(possessed)

Vote for Mantini!

Truman grows and grows until he is again just a giant

puppet. The audience bursts into applause, then delivers a

standing ovation. Truman bows. Flemmer laughs wildly in the

catwalks. Malkovich walks dejectedly from the stage.

CUT TO:

INT. BACKSTAGE - CONTINUOUS

Malkovich walks past Maxine. She doesn't even look at him.

Thunderous applause is heard in the background.

MALKOVICH:

Good-bye, Maxine.

MAXINE:

Whatever.

Malkovich drops limply to the floor. He lifts his head.

MALKOVICH:

(weak but relieved)

I'm back! My nightmare is over.

CUT TO:

INT. CATWALK - CONTINUOUS

Flemmer watches Malkovich from above. He pulls out a

walkie-talkie.

FLEMMER:

(into walkie-talkie)

Okay, now!

CUT TO:

INT. CRAIG AND MAXINE'S OFFICE - CONTINUOUS

Lester is surrounded by all the Malkovichians. He holds

the walkie-talkie, has just received word. He nods, and

the Malkovichians crawl in single file into the portal,

while shrieking a war cry.

CUT TO:

INT. BACKSTAGE - CONTINUOUS

Maxine watches as Malkovich pulls himself up off the ground.

Suddenly, he is again possessed, first by one person, then

by two, then by three, his body jerking and pulsating with

each new occupant. It's almost like popping corn, starting

out slowly, then going faster and faster, until Malkovich

is possessed by all fifty Malkovichians. He shrieks a war

cry and runs out onto the stage.

CUT TO:

INT. STAGE - CONTINUOUS

The Truman puppet now hangs limply from the catwalks.

Malkovich hovers just above the stage and addresses the

audience.

MALKOVICH:

(now sounding like fifty voices)

I am your earthly king! Kneel before

me!

The audience scoffs at first, but then are compelled to

their knees.

CROWD:

(like automatons)

Hail Malkovich, king of the damned.

Malkovich laughs, gives the thumbs up sign to Flemmer in

the catwalks. Flemmer gives the thumbs up sign back.

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