Birdman

BLACK11We hear a clock ticking.

FADE IN:

INT. RIGGAN'S DRESSING ROOM - THEATER - DAY11Close on the brilliant colors of a middle eastern rug, the

center of what seems to be a makeshift “meditation” space.

We slowly tilt up to discover the back of Riggan Thomson (55).

He is in the proper ‘Lotus’ position, dressed only in tight

white briefs and he appears to be meditating deeply. And if all

this seems a little odd, it becomes all the more so when you

notice that he is levitating almost two feet above the floor.

His breath is calm and measured... in and out... in and out.

MAN (V.O.)

How did we end up here?

(Beat.)

This place is a f***ing dump.

We begin to slowly move toward Riggan's back while his measure

breathing continues. We see a clock on the wall, ticking.

MAN (V.O.)

Smells like balls.

A slight twitch in Riggan's neck.

MAN (V.O.)

We don't belong in this shithole.

A Skype call shatters the silence. Close on his back, we follow

Riggan as he walks over to the computer and answers the call.

On the computer screen appears Sam (21), in a pair of Levi's

and a Led Zeppelin T-shirt. She has simple and striking good

looks, with an edge in her voice and behind her eyes. She

stands in a Korean Deli among the flowers, talking to Riggan

through her iPhone.

1A1AThe Korean Store owner (50) stands in the background screaming

at her the whole time.

RIGGANSam, I can't--

(CONTINUED)

SAMDad? What kind of--

(Turning to Korean.)

SHUT UP!!!

(Back to screen.)

What kind of flowers did you say you

wanted?

RIGGANAlchemillas. Or something soothing that

smells nice. Listen I can’t--

SAMIt all smells like f***ing Kimchi!

RIGGANThen whatever looks nice. Anything but

roses. No roses.

KOREANFlowers don't need you touch! They need you

buy!!!

SAM(Close into the screen.)

I hate this job.

And the Skype call is over. Riggan closes the laptop and leans

forward trying to regain his calm. His reflection appears in

the mirror, and for the first time we see his face. He has a

dark goatee and his hair looks strangely abundant. There is a

piece of paper on the mirror with the handwritten phrase “A

thing is a thing, not what it is said of that thing.”

ANNIE ON SPEAKERSRiggan, they’re starting scene

five. We need you on stage.

RIGGANShit...

Riggan throws on a sweater and stumbles into his slacks. He

hurries out...

INT. HALLWAYS - THEATER - CONTINUOUS22...through the narrow corridors of the theater. There is a lot

of activity as various workers and stage hands appear and

disappear carrying equipment and scenery. As Riggan descends the

stairs, a Stage Hand· passes by in the opposite direction.

STAGE HAND·

Mr. Thomson.

10/29/14 / 2.

(CONTINUED)

RIGGANSteve.

STAGE HAND·

It’s Daniel.

RIGGAN(Already passed.)

Okay.

Riggan continues on until he arrives backstage. He runs into

Jake (42) his producer and friend.

JAKEHow’s it going, buddy.

RIGGANGreat. It’d be even better if I

could get Ralph to stop acting like

he’s in an educational video for

syphilis...

The camera moves off of them and onto...

INT. STAGE - THEATER - CONTINUOUS33...the stage. Suddenly we are in the midst of an Americana style

kitchen.

Around the kitchen table sit Lesley (35), plain and no nonsense,

her simple hairstyle and makeup can't hide how attractive she

is. Laura (35), dark, exotic, the kind of woman who makes every

person she meets feel like she's seducing them. And Ralph (40),

slightly handsome, slightly balding, slightly invisible.

A half empty bottle of gin on the table, they drink from

highball glasses as they chat...

LESLEYHe loved me.

RALPHYeah. He loved her so much he tried

to kill her.

LAURAHe tried to kill you?

LESLEYNo. (A beat.) Okay, well, he did

beat me up one night. He dragged me

around the living room by my

ankles, yelling "I love you, I love

10/29/14 / 3.

(MORE)

(CONTINUED)

you, b*tch." What do you do with a

love like that?

RALPH:

How is that-- That is not love and you know

it. Why do you insist on calling it--

LESLEYYou can say what you want, but I know what

it was.

RALPHWhat about you, Nick? Does that sound like

love to you?

Riggan arrives at the table and sits.

RIGGANSorry I’m late.

(Beat. In character.)

I'm the wrong person to ask. I didn't

know the man. I've only heard his name

mentioned in passing. You'd have to

know the particulars. But I think what

you're saying is that love is absolute.

RALPHYeah. The kind of love I'm talking about

is... The kind of love I'm talking about,

you don't try and kill people.

LESLEY(Sadly.)

It was love, Mel. To Eddie, it was. I don't

care what anybody says. He was ready to die

for it.

RALPHAsk her what he did after she left him.

LESLEYHe shot himself in the mouth. But he

screwed that up, too. Poor Ed.

RALPHPoor Ed, my ass. The guy was dangerous.

LAURAHow'd he screw it up if he shot himself in

the mouth?

RALPH(By the numbers.)

He used to carry this twenty-two. We lived

like fugitives those days. I never knew--

10/29/14 / 4.

LESLEY (CONT'D)

(CONTINUED)

RIGGAN(Breaking character to direct.

Exasperated.)

Okay. Fugitives are on the run, Ralph. How

many times do I have to-- Fugitives are

scared. Give me more of that.

Ralph nods. He takes a breath and dives in once again...

RALPH(The same but louder.)

We lived like fugitives those days...

Extremely frustrated, Riggan stares out into the auditorium.

From his POV we see Jake who is now sitting in the third row.

His head buried in his hands, tortured by Ralph’s performance.

Riggan turns back to Ralph.

RALPH (CONT'D)

...I never knew if he was going to come out

of the bushes or from behind a car and just

start shooting.

Riggan watches Ralph act and sees his whole production headed

down the drain. Ralph is just that bad.

RALPH (CONT’D)

The man was crazy. He was capable of

anything.

The actors all wait for a cue from Riggan, who is now staring

up into the lights above the stage. Laura finally picks up

Riggan’s cue.

LAURAChrist. What a nightmare...

RALPHHe used to call me at the hospital and

say...

(Over the top.)

"Son of a b*tch. Your days are numbered."

Silence. Ralph looks over to Riggan.

RALPH (CONT'D)

Too much? Little bit? I just wanted to give

you a range, so you could--

And with that a light comes barreling down from it's perch and

crashes into Ralph's head, making him hit the floor like a rag

doll. Silence.

LAURAHoly sh*t.

10/29/14 / 5.

(CONTINUED)

Lesley and Annie (35), the Stage Manager, run over to Ralph

who is out cold. Not knowing what to do, they stare at him.

LESLEYIs he breathing?

Jake runs toward the stage.

JAKESomeone call 911!

Riggan slowly backs away from the chaos.

LAURAIs that blood coming out of his

ear?

JAKE(To Riggan.)

Where are you going?

LESLEYOkay, he’s breathing. What did he

have for lunch?

LAURADid anyone call for help?

ANNIE(Clapping.)

Wake up! Wake up!

Two crew members try to help Ralph.

CREW MEMBERGrab his legs. I got the top.

JAKEDon't move him! Wait for the ambulance.

(Calling out.)

For the love of God! I could get a black

audience in this theater faster than a

doctor!

Riggan heads off the stage, and Jake chases after him. We

follow them as...

INT. HALLWAY - THEATER - CONTINUOUS44...they walk through the corridor.

JAKEWhere are you going? We’ll have the

understudy ready to rehearse in five--

10/29/14 / 6.

(CONTINUED)

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