Breakdown Page #5

JEFF:

It would’ve been within the last

half hour. She might’ve been with

a trucker?

BARTENDER:

A trucker.

(CONTINUED)

26.

CONTINUED:

JEFF:

Guy with a baseball cap. Driving

an eighteen wheeler.

The Bartender thinks a moment, shakes his head.

BARTENDER:

Don’t ring a bell.

JEFF:

You sure?

The Bartender leans over the counter, calls out:

BARTENDER:

Hey! Man here’s looking for his

wife, dark hair, button-on shirt,

travelin’ with a guy in a baseball

cap. Anybody see ’em?

Jeff looks up and down the counter. Blank faces, a few

disinterested shrugs, a few headshakes no.

A disheveled female barfly, FLO, grins up at him.

FLO:

Looks like she got away from ya,

cowboy.

A few of the regulars chuckle at this. Jeff ignores

them, turns back to the Bartender.

JEFF:

Could she have left a message with

another one of your employees?

BARTENDER:

Don’t see how. I’m the only one

who works here.

Jeff scratches his head. This doesn’t make any sense.

JEFF:

I don’t understand. Is there

another Belle’s Diner?

BARTENDER:

(chuckles)

No siree. Definitely not.

Jeff clenches his jaw, takes another look around. An

elderly couple sit at a rear table, watching him. They

whisper to each other.

(CONTINUED)

27.

CONTINUED:

JEFF:

(under his breath)

Sh*t.

He turns and goes outside...

EXT. BELLE’S -DAY

Jeff squints in the bright sunlight.

Maybe he got this place confused with a different diner.

He peers up at the sign. It says "Belle’s," all right.

He walks to the phone booth, looks inside. The phone

book is missing.

He picks up the receiver, listens for the dial tone...

Phone works okay. He hangs up.

He stands there for a moment, scanning the horizon in all

directions. There is nothing else out here, nowhere else

she could have gone.

Jeff marches back into the diner...

INT. DINER -DAY

Jeff goes to the Bartender.

JEFF:

Excuse me, how far is the next

town?

BARTENDER:

About twenty miles.

JEFF:

Look, if my wife comes in --her

name is Amy --tell her I was

here. Tell her to stay put till I

get back, not to move. Would you

do that, please?

BARTENDER:

(shrugs, bored)

Okay.

Jeff regards the Bartender skeptically. He takes one

last look around, then heads out.

28.

EXT. BELLE’S -DAY

Jeff marches briskly to his car and opens the door,

forgetting to deactivate the alarm. The SIREN WAILS.

Jeff fumbles for the remote and shuts if OFF.

HIGH ANGLE -MOMENTS LATER

The Cherokee pulls out of the parking lot, kicking up

gravel.

CUT TO:

INT. CHEROKEE -DAY

The stereo is off, the windows rolled up.

his jaw set tightly.

Jeff drives,

The speedometer reads 88 mph.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. DESERT HIGHWAY -MINUTES LATER

The Cherokee crests a rise...

INT. CHEROKEE -DAY

... and then across the desert plain, traveling on

another road, he sees it...

PETERBILT:

The 18-wheeler that picked up Amy. Cruising leisurely.

Jeff presses the accelerator...

EXT. FORK IN ROAD -DAY

The Cherokee turns sharply onto the other road.

EXT. DESERT HIGHWAY -AERIAL VIEW -DAY

The Cherokee speeds down the road, gaining on the

Peterbilt. It comes up behind.

29.

INT. CHEROKEE -DAY

Jeff HONKS his HORN, flashes his lights.

JEFF:

C’mon, you fat-ass. Pull over.

Either the driver doesn’t notice, or he’s ignoring Jeff,

but the truck does not slow down.

Jeff shifts into the oncoming lane and pulls alongside

the cab. He HONKS again and waves, gesturing for the

truck to pull over. But the Peterbilt maintains its

speed.

Jeff cranes his neck to get a glimpse of the driver...

POV SHOT:

It’s Red, alright. But he’s wearing a different cap.

FROM this ANGLE, we can’t see into the passenger side of

the cab.

Red peers down at Jeff, puzzled. Jeff shouts at him,

waves:

JEFF:

Pull over! Pull over!

Red suddenly notices something ahead in the road, BLARES

his HORN.

Jeff looks up, sees -An

RV camper approaching in the oncoming lane!

HIGHWAY:

Jeff swerves onto the far shoulder as the RV whooshes

past in the opposite direction, HORN BLARING.

CHEROKEE:

Jeff is rattled, catching his breath. He swings back

onto the road.

HIGHWAY:

Jeff slips in ahead of the Peterbilt, then starts weaving

and braking, forcing the truck to slow.

(CONTINUED)

30.

CONTINUED:

Both vehicles pull to the side of the road and stop.

Jeff leaps out of the Cherokee and runs over as Red

climbs down from the empty cab.

(NOTE:
Throughout this scene, various cars and trucks

pass in either direction.)

RED:

Jesus, pal, what the hell you

doing?

JEFF:

I was signaling you to stop.

Didn’t you see me?

RED:

No.

Jeff reacts. How thick can this guy be?

JEFF:

Where’s my wife?

RED:

Huh?

JEFF:

My wife. Where is she?

Red gives him a puzzled look.

RED:

How should I know where your wife

is?

JEFF:

I checked at the diner. No one

saw her there.

RED:

Mister, I don’t know what you’re

talking about.

Jeff stares --is this guy nuts?

JEFF:

You gave her a ride. You were

supposed to drop her at Belle’s

diner.

Red searches his memory, trying to be as helpful as

possible. He shakes his head.

(CONTINUED)

31.

CONTINUED:

RED:

Nope. Sorry.

JEFF:

How can you not remember? It was

just half an hour ago, for

chrissakes!

Red gives him a peculiar look.

RED:

Mister, I never seen you before in

my life.

Suddenly, there is a loud SQUAWK from inside the cab -the

CB RADIO.

CB VOICE (V.O.)

(filtered)

Breaker, breaker --Iron Man, you

copy?

JEFF:

(reacts)

Your radio works -(

locks eyes with Red)

What the hell are you doing --?

Jeff freaks out, circling the truck, calling loudly:

JEFF:

Amy? Amy?! You in there?

Red shrinks back, unnerved.

RED:

Look, mister, I don’t know what

you want, but -

JEFF:

I want my f***ing wife, is what I

want! What have you done to her?!

Red’s eyes dart to something in the distance. Jeff

catches this, turns...

SHERIFF’S PATROL CAR

Cruising toward them.

Jeff runs into the middle of the road and waves

frantically. The patrol car switches on its flash bar

and speeds up, pulling to a stop behind the Peterbilt.

(CONTINUED)

32.

CONTINUED:

SHERIFF BOYD, 50ish, climbs out, sizing up the situation.

Jeff runs over.

JEFF:

Officer, I need your help!

SHERIFF BOYD:

What’s your problem?

JEFF:

I don’t know, this guy has my

wife!

SHERIFF BOYD:

Calm down, sir. Tell me what’s

going on.

Jeff catches his breath.

JEFF:

I don’t know what the hell’s going

on. Last time I saw her she was

with this guy in his truck. Now

he’s saying he’s never seen her!

RED:

Officer, he’s crazy --I don’t

know what he’s talking about.

JEFF:

Don’t lie, you son of a b*tch!

The Sheriff unsnaps the safety strap on his holster...

just a precaution.

SHERIFF BOYD:

All right --everybody just calm

down.

(to Jeff)

Sir, you want to tell me what

happened?

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes