Capote Page #3

2 1 EXT- CLUTTER FARM - SUNSET 21 *

Nelle pulls their car to the side of the COUNTY ROAD which

fronts the CLUTTER FARM. We recognize the FARMHOUSE as the

one in which Nancy Clutter was found dead. A HIGHWAY

PATROLMAN (20 years old) sits in a CRUISER parked up the

driveway .

Green 11/2/05 12.

CRIME SCENE TAPE marks the perimeter of the property. Truman

and Nelle get out of their car, stand at the foot of the

driveway, gazing at the lonely farmhouse.

FADE OUT.

22 EXT. HOLCOMB HIGH SCHOOL - MORNING 22 *

A gorgeous fall day. Crowds of kids arriving at school. Many

are SOMBER. As Truman and Nelle walk toward the kids, some

look warily at Truman and give him a wide berth.

TRUMAN:

Hello.

Kids back away. Nelle notices. She leaves Truman, walks up

to a group of THREE GIRLS.

NELLE:

Morning.

GIRL #1

Hi.

NELLE:

Can any of you tell me where I'd

find Laura Kinney?

GIRL #1

Oh, um...

The girl glances toward the school entrance where LAURA

KINNEY (who found Nancy Clutter's body) walks with DANNY

BURKE (tall, 17).

NELLE:

(gently Is that her? With the tall boy?

GIRL #2

Yeah. With Danny Burke.

NELLE:

Danny Burke?

(Girl #2 nods)

Thank you.

As Nelle leaves, Girl #1 turns to her friend:

GIRL #2

Oh, quiet yourself, Janice.

Nelle sees Truman on his way toward Laura, calls out -

NELLE:

Truman. Truman -

Truman doesn't hear. She watches Truman approach them.

Laura backs away. Danny leads her off. Nelle walks over to

Truman, looks at him for several moments.

NELLE (cont'd)

These folks live their lives in a

particular way. You need to

consider adapting yourself to that

fact.

TRUMAN:

What -

NELLE - I'm gonna find out where those

two kids live. Maybe you'll let me

do that alone?

Nelle leaves. On Truman, as the bell rings and the mass of

teenagers starts to enter the school.

CUT TO:

Truman walks alone, sees the Gilbart Funeral Home. He

removes his hat, slips past the few people standing outside.

INT. GILBART FUNZRAL HOHE - CONTINUOUS 2 4

Warm but slightly tacky. Some people are engaged in hushed

conversation at the reception area. Truman slips past, into

the back room.

INT. BACK ROOM, GILBART FUNERAL HOME - CONTINUOUS 2 5

No people, low light. Four CLOSED CASKETS at the back of the

room. Truman walks over slowly. After a moment, he checks

to make sure he's alone. Then he LIFTS THE TOP of one of the

caskets. It's Bonnie Clutter's body, in a long-sleaved navyblue

dress; but her head is wrapped in layers and layers of

white cotton gauze, and lacquered with a shiny substance -

like an enormous cocoon. Truman stares.

CUT TO:

Green

INT. WALKER HOTEZ, TRUMAN'B ROOM - NIGHT 2 6

Truman on the PHONE to Jack in Brooklyn. One of Truman's

trunks is open, displaying bottles of liquor, packaged and

tinned gourmet food, and stacks of unused yellow legal pads.

He drinks, standing at the window.

JACK (OVER PHONE)

I think I scared a friend of yours

this morning. He came looking for

you while I was writing.

TRUMAN (ON PHONE)

You hate my friends.

JACK:

I wouldn't say hate. So long as

they don't knock on my door.

TRUMAN:

I saw the bodies today.

JACK:

Which?

TRUMAN:

The Clutters. I looked inside the

coffins.

JACK:

That's horrifying.

TRUMAN:

It comforts me - something so

horrifying it's freeing. It's a

relief. Normal life falls away.

(beat)

But, then, I was never much for

normal life -

JACK:

NO , YOU weren ' t . TRUMAN

People here won't talk to me. They

want someone like you, like Nelle.

Me they hate.

JACK:

I can't think of a single quality I

share with Nelle.

TRUMAN:

Well -

JACK:

Maybe manliness.

TRUMAN:

My point exactly.

JACK:

It's why I left the Midwest in the

first place. I knew I could only

find someone like you in New York

City.

On Truman, gazing at the EMPTY TOWN SQUARE below.

CUT TO:

A SHOPKEEPER sweeps the sidewalk. There are THANKSGIVING

DECORATIONS in his shop window.

A SCHOOL BUS picks up a SMALL BOY at the intersection of a

DIRT ROAD and the paved COUNTY ROAD.

A SMALL BRIDGE over the Arkansas river. Below them, men are

sifting the riverbed with nets, moving slowly downstream.

CUT TO:

2 8 INT. WALKER BOTEL, LOBBY - EARLY MORNING 2 8

Nelle waits by the FRONT DESK. The ELEVATOR DOORS open and

Truman emerges. He is DRESSED SOBERLY - NO LONG SCARF, NO

LONG COAT. He walks toward Nelle, then TURNS as if he's a

runway model, walks away, turns again and walks back. He

stops a few feet in front of her. Nelle refuses to smile.

NELLE:

Let's go.

CUT TO:

Green

EXT. HOLCOMB TOWN ROAD - EARLY MORNING 29 *

Danny Burke walks down the road with a bookbag over his

shoulder. Nelle approaches him, Truman keeps his distance.

NELLE:

Danny?

(Danny stops)

Would you mind terribly if I walked

with you for a bit?

He shrugs. They walk together. ,

A30 EXT. LAURA KINNEY HOUSE - AFTERNOON

CUT TO:

A3 0

Laura opens door to Truman and Nelle.

3 0 INT. LAURA KINNEY HOUSE, KITCHEN - AFTERNOON 3 0

Nelle and Laura Kinney sit at the table. Truman stands at

the counter.

LAURA:

I thought you were from the FBI

with your long coat.

TRUMAN:

Is that so?

LAURA:

That's why I ran off.

TRUMAN:

I've been getting a lot of that

lately.

Truman smiles. Laura smiles back, amused, a bit comforted.

LAURA:

It's fine talking to you all.

Practically nobody around here

wants to talk since what happened.

NELLE:

Folks have been through a rough

patch. Including you.

(Laura nods)

Nancy was your best friend.

LAURA:

She was my best friend.,

They're quiet for a few moments.

NELLE:

How has Danny been?

LAURA:

Pretty shattered. Nothing terrible

ever happened to him before. Nancy

just started wearing his ring again

after this huge fight - Mr. Clutter

was trying to get her to end it

'cause Danny's Catholic.

NELLE:

What were the Clutters?

LAURA:

Methodist. Danny was the last

person at the house that night.

That's why Mr. Dewey's keeps

interviewing him - they don't think

he had anything to do with it -

just to see if he remembers

anything unusual and all.

NELLE:

People in town seem to wonder if he was involved.

LAURA:

That's been real hard for Danny.

TRUMAN:

Oh, it's the hardest - when people

have a notion about you and it's

impossible to convince them

otherwise.

(MORE )

Green 11 /2/05

TRUMAN (cont'd)

Since I was a child folks have

thought they had me pegged because

of the way I look and the way I

talk. They're always wrong.

(looks at her)

Do you know what I mean?

Laura stares at him and nods. He's clearly struck a chord.

LAURA:

I want to show you something.

She goes in the door to the GROUND FLOOR APARTMENT. They see

her through the LACE CURTAINS getting something from her

DESK, which is stacked with books. Truman whispers to Nelle:

TRUMAN:

Not one person here understands

her.

Laura returns. She hugs a SMALL BOOK to her chest. After a

moment, she holds it out to them.

LAURA:

Maybe you'll get a better picture

of Nancy. And the family.

NELLE:

What is this?

LAURA:

It's her diary.

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