Birdman Page #7

ANNIEMike. He says it’s for his character.

Carver’s red necks, “people of the

land”. Part of his process and that

sh*t.

Riggan cannot deal with this right now. He continues walking

until he arrives at a metal door that takes him out to...

EXT. AN ALLEY WAY - OUTSIDE THE THEATER - CONTINUOUS1616...an alley way. Riggan walks toward the street. There is a man

playing drums. Riggan finds Mike leaning against a parked car,

dazed and looking up at the marquis...

RIGGANLet’s go. Walk.

Riggan begins to walk, Mike follows.

MIKEWhere are we going?

RIGGANTo get you some coffee. Have I done

anything to disrespect you?

MIKENot yet.

RIGGANI have a lot riding on this play.

MIKEIs that right?

RIGGANPeople know who I am, and--

MIKEBullshit.

RIGGANMike--

MIKEBullshit. People don’t know you. They

know the guy in the bird suit. They

know the guy who tells those quaint,

slightly vomitous stories on Letterman.

RIGGANWell, I’m sorry for being popular, but

that--

10/29/14 / 41.

(CONTINUED)

MIKE(With irony.)

Popular? POPULAR?... Oh God, popularity is

just the slutty little cousin of prestige.

RIGGANOkay, I don’t even know what that--

MIKEMy reputation is riding on this play.

And that's... That is...

RIGGANA lot?

MIKEA lot. Exactly. F*** you. Yes. This

doesn't work out for you, you get to go

home to your studio pals and jump right

back into that cultural genocide you

guys are perpetrating. “There’s a

douchbag born every minute”. That was

P.T. Barnum’s premise when he got rich

inventing the circus. And you and your

pals know nothing’s changed, and

whatever toxic sh*t you make people are

still gonna pay to see it. But, after

you’re gone, I’ll still be here. I’ll

still be making my living on the stage.

Baring my soul. Wrestling with emotions,

complex emotions.

RIGGANRight. Is that what tonight was about then?

(Mocking him.) Wrestling with “complex

emotions”?

MIKETonight was about making it alive. About

making it bleed. This isn't the Warner

Brothers lot, Riggan. This is the city, and

this is how we do things.

Mike turns and opens the front door of The Rum House.

RIGGANWhere are you going?

MIKEThey have coffee in here.

He walks into the restaurant. Riggan backtracks and we follow

him into...

10/29/14 / 42.

INT. RUM HOUSE - CONTINUOUS1717...The Rum House. Mike stands at the bar, the bartender

already pouring two whiskeys.

MIKE(To bartender.)

Thanks, Tommy.

Tommy nods and walks away.

RIGGAN(Getting back on point.)

People were laughing in our faces.

MIKE(Handing Riggan a drink.)

Tonight they were laughing, tomorrow

they'll be... be.. tweeting about us. F***

‘em. Who cares??? These are the people who

pay half price to watch us rehearse. Stop

f***ing caring!

RIGGANWe’re doing Raymond Carver. This play is a

drama. This play is--

MIKEYou don’t know what this play is. These are

previews. This is where we find out what

the play is.

Mike points to an Older Woman sitting at the bar. She sips a

martini and scribbles in a notebook with a sour expression.

MIKE (CONT’D)

You see that woman over there? The one that

looks like she just licked a homeless guy’s

ass? Nothing matters until she writes five

hundred words about us in the New York Times.

RIGGANThat's...

MIKETabitha Dickinson. Yes. And, believe it or

not, the only thing that matters in theater

is whether she likes us or not. She does,

we run. She doesn't, we're f***ed.

RIGGAN(Preoccupied.)

She does look like she licked a homeless

guy’s ass.

10/29/14 / 43.

(CONTINUED)

MIKEDo me a favor, don't get your panties in a

twist over a preview, alright? And don't tell

me how to do my job. Cause, this is my town.

And, to be honest, nobody gives a sh*t about

you around here.

LADY (O.S.)

You're Riggan Thompson, right?

Two fat tourists in "Mamma Mia" t-shirts, with a seven year old

kid, approach the table.

HUSBAND(Timidly.)

We're sorry to interrupt...

LADYWould you mind terribly if we got a

picture?

RIGGANOf course. It's no trouble at all.

The Lady shoves her camera into Mike's hands.

LADY(To Mike.)

Would you mind?

Mike gets up with a blank expression and takes the camera.

The Lady pushes the kid into the booth next to Riggan.

LADY (CONT’D)

(Ordering Mike.)

The button right on top there.

KIDWho is this guy?

LADY(To his son.)

Come on, Billy. He used to be like Batman.

She yanks the kid closer and they squeeze up against Riggan.

Mike takes the photo and holds the camera to the lady.

LADY (CONT’D)

(To Mike)

I think you screwed that one up. Take

another one.

Mike takes another picture.

10/29/14 / 44.

(CONTINUED)

LADY (CONT’D)

(To Riggan.)

God bless you, darlin’. You're very sweet.

And handsome!

She kisses Riggan hard on the mouth. Then gets up, giddy, and

takes her son by the hand. As the couple leaves, husband shoves

a five dollar bill into Mike’s hands.

HUSBANDWe really appreciate it.

An agitated Mike takes a sip of whiskey.

MIKEAre we good here? Cause I’m gonna go.

RIGGANSee you tomorrow.

Mike places the dollar under one of the shot glasses and begins

to walk away, but then stops and turns curiously.

MIKEWhy Raymond Carver? You never told me.

Riggan looks at Mike for a second, than reaches for his wallet

and produces an old cocktail napkin with some writing on it. He

slides it to Mike.

RIGGANA long time ago, I did a play back in

high school in Michigan. He was in the

audience. He sent this backstage after.

MIKE"Thank you for an honest performance. Ray

Carver." What is this?

Riggan looks vulnerable. He is trying to make Mike understand

the importance of the napkin, to build a bridge between them.

RIGGANAnd that's when I knew I was going to

be an actor.

Mike can't stop himself from smiling.

RIGGAN (CONT’D)

Why is that funny?

MIKEHe wrote it on a cocktail napkin.

10/29/14 / 45.

(CONTINUED)

RIGGANSo...

Mike slides the napkin back to Riggan.

MIKEHe was drunk.

A17A17He walks away and we follow him as he passes by the bar next

to Tabitha Dickinson, the Critic.

TABITHAYou headed to Hollywood, Mike?

Mike stops.

MIKEHollywood's headed here, Tabby.

TABITHA(A devilish smile.)

Good luck with that.

Mike looks directly into her eyes.

MIKE"A man becomes a critic when he can not be an

artist, in the same way that a man becomes an

informer when he cannot be a soldier."

Flaubert, right?

He flashes his own devilish smile. She stares back. If she

weren't so much older than him, you'd swear there was sexual

electricity between them.

TABITHAHe's a Hollywood clown in a Lycra bird

suit.

MIKEYeah. And at 8 o'clock tomorrow, he's gonna

get on stage and risk everything. What're

you gonna be doing?

A standoff.

TABITHADon't you ever worry that I'll give you a

bad review?

10/29/14 / 46.

(CONTINUED)

MIKEOh, I'm sure you will. If I ever give a bad

performance.

(Beat.)

Ms. Dickinson.

TABITHAMr. Shiner.

Mike smiles and waves over to an obviously nervous Riggan. He

goes toward the exit, but we stay with Tabitha, scribbling on

her notebook. Suddenly she raises her eyes and, with a dark

expression, looks at Riggan who is passing by.

We follow Riggan toward the exit. Through the window we see him

leave the restaurant. Then we pan to a wooden wall, and this

wall takes us to...

INT. HALLWAY - THEATER - LATER1919...the theater hallway. Riggan walks through the quiet corridor,

until he arrives at...

INT. GREEN ROOM - THEATER - CONTINUOUS2020...the Green Room. Sam sits listlessly, drawing some lines

across a roll of toilet paper.

RIGGANWhat're you still doing here?

SAM(Continues scribbling.)

Nothing. I’m-- Nothing. Your costumes are

hanging in your room.

RIGGANGreat...

SAMI got the coconut water you wanted. If you

want me to get--

RIGGANHey.

SAMWhat?

RIGGANI'm not sure if I said thank you.

10/29/14 / 47.

(CONTINUED)

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