Dirt Page #9

JULIA:

Hello...what? What...slow down.

Okay....okay, thanks.

She looks at Holt.

JULIA (CONT’D)

It’s Kira. She OD’d.

Holt stands there, Sunset swirling around him.

END OF ACT THREE

53.

ACT FOUR:

INT. SYDNEY POLLACK’S BUNGALOW -- DAY

A table read. All the actors are milling around, drinking

coffee and checking each other out. P.A.s run around

preparing a table with bagels that none of the actors eat.

Holt sits at his place at the table, just two away from the

star of the movie. He mouths lines, looks at his already-dogeared

script, tries to calm his blown-out nerves. No sign ofClooney or Kira Klay.

Sydney Pollack enters the room gravely. Everybody quiets

down.

SYDNEY POLLACK:

Well, this is a crazy day. A movie

I’ve been trying to get made for

four years is cast, with a cast any

director would die for. So todaybegan as a high point for me. I

even got new shoes.

He holds out a foot with a new shoe. Actors laugh nervously.

SYDNEY POLLACK (CONT’D)

I’m driving over here and on the

way I get a call from Kira’s

manager, Amy Blenson...she tells me

Kira’s had a medical emergency.

She’s okay, but she’s not only out

of the movie, she’s going to be

taking time off from the business

and really re-evaluating her place

here. I thought, okay, as long as

she’s okay, there are a dozen

actresses who can play the part.

Not forty five seconds later, I get

a call from Clooney. Can’t imagine

anyone but Kira in the part...says

it’s too delicate, like gossamer,

it’s gotta be her or he’s out.

The whole picture begins to dawn on Holt. He opens his mouth

wide, like a fish on the deck of a boat, impotently trying to

get a breath.

SYDNEY POLLACK (CONT’D)

So...enjoy some coffee and a bagel.

I hope it all changes in the next

48 hours...but I’ve been doing this

long enough to know how these

things tend to play out.

Some of the actors grab their bags and go, several just mill

around.

54.

Holt sits in his seat, going through his script. He looks at

his careful notations, the highlighted lines...

His face sets into a mask of deep anger and resolve. He

storms out, leaving his script behind.

EXT. THE ROAD -- DAY

Holt speeds through Hollywood in his old Carera.

INT. LUCY’S OFFICE -- DAY

Holt sits watching Lucy on her wireless headset walking

around. Don sits at the other end of the couch.

LUCY:

(into headset)

Right...well, you talk to legal,

see what they have to say.

Holt stands up, tries to interject, but Lucy holds up her

hand, she’ll be done in a sec.

Now Holt is standing, not knowing what to do with himself.

LUCY (CONT’D)

Anyway, I have to run...a friend

just stopped by.

As she finishes up the call, Alexander Barrow enters.

LUCY (CONT’D)

Love to Raj...bye.

Lucy turns her gaze on Holt and Don and Barrow.

LUCY (CONT’D)

Now, what can I do for the

exceptionally talented Holt

McLaren? Besides receiving his

undying gratitude for the beautiful

profile in NOW Magazine?

Holt’s a little thrown, but plows forward.

HOLT:

I’m not going to give you any more.

Not about my friends or my enemies.

Kira is in the hospital because I

told you-

LUCY:

Kira’s in the hospital because

she’s a drug addict. And she’s

going to be fine.

55.

HOLT:

That’s not the point. The point is

that you people-

LUCY:

First of all, you’re welcome for

the nearly 800-word profile in NOW

Magazine as well as the three other

carefully crafted tidbits we’ve

managed to pepper throughout our

little media empire, which any

publicist would sacrifice a left

nut for. Secondly, you are now a

source. And I feel that we can do

great things together. You, me and

Don here. Not that Don is an

employee, actually a freelance

contractor.

Don looks around.

DON:

I like this office.

HOLT:

I don’t give a crap what he is, I’m

not gonna help you guys out

anymore.

LUCY:

Poor Julia.

HOLT:

Don’t give me that--

LUCY:

When she finds out about your

betrayal. Poor thing. I know she

adores you.

Holt takes a deep breath, willing to lose it all.

HOLT:

You know what? She’ll either

understand or she won’t. I don’t

care. You can tell her whatever

you want. I love her and she loves

me.

LUCY:

Brave.

HOLT:

F*** you.

Barrow shakes his head.

56.

LUCY:

Don, will you get the lights?

HOLT:

What are you doing?

Don goes over to the door and turns off the office lights.

LUCY:

You know what we love here at

Transcommunication Media? Home

movies. Nothing has the smack of

the genuine like home-made porn.

Lucy puts a DVD in the deck. Blue-screen comes on, then a

home-made video flickers to life.

THE VIDEO:

A poorly-lit DV. Broken down and pixilated, but ultimately

engaging.

JULIA MYERS sits on a messy bed.

JULIA:

I am so wasted.

OFFSCREEN VOICE:

(unintelligible)

JULIA:

What are you doing?

OFFSCREEN VOICE:

(unintelligible)

A body crosses frame, then again, then...

JOHNNY COLE:

Sits on the bed next to Julia. Starts kissing her.

JULIA:

....don’t Really want to do this...

JOHNNY COLE:

You know you do.

JULIA:

Can’t even focus my eyes...

He kisses her, takes off her shirt. It all moves very

quickly now.

We move from the video to Holt’s face in the dim light.

57.

RETURN TO VIDEO:

Now Johnny Cole is behind Julia. He wraps her long hair in a

knot around his hand and snaps her head back.

JOHNNY COLE:

You like that?

JULIA:

(faintly, high)

Yes...

Lucy stops the tape. Walks over and turns up the lights.

LUCY:

That’s enough.

Holt looks down at the floor.

DON:

Hoo-ee.

BARROW:

So, if that were to be released, it

might not square too well with your

gal’s wholesome image on her TV

show. And you come off like a

little cuckold b*tch. Bad all

around.

Holt is shaking, quiet.

LUCY:

Or, you supplement your thin little

guest-spot income with our generous

story fees, and get great press

along the way. And you and Julia

ride off into the sunset. I

honestly would rather not leak

this.

Holt stands up and starts to walk out. Stops at the door.

HOLT:

(simply)

I’m an actor. It’s all I ever

wanted to do.

LUCY:

(quietly)

No, you wanted to be famous.

There’s a big difference.

You can give your dirt to Don.

Whenever. No rush. Just make sure

it comes regularly.

58.

Holt is gone.

Lucy sighs. She looks exhausted. Don still sits there,

disassociated, whispering to himself.

LUCY (CONT’D)

You can go, Don.

DON:

Huh?

LUCY:

Go. Both of you.

EXT. PARKING LOT, TRANSCOMMUNICATION MEDIA -- DAY

Don walks toward camera. We see--but Don doesn’t--Holt

charging into frame...

HOLT SMASHES DON

A roundhouse sucker punch to the ear. Don goes down hard

onto the concrete. We pick up the RINGING and IMPAIRED

HEARING of Holt’s punch on DON’S POV...

DON:

Oh-

HOLT:

You piece’a sh*t! Scumbag!

Holt kicks him.

DON’S POV

Looking up at Holt. The sun backlighting Holt, causing an

angelic silhouette.

Rate this script:4.0 / 1 vote