Groundhog Day Page #19

RITA:

Where were you this morning? How

could you possibly miss the

shoot?

PHIL:

(at the end of his

ROPE)

I've come to the end of me, Rita.

There's only one way out now.

Just remember/we had a wonderful

day together once.

Phil kisses her gently on the cheek and walks off toward the

back of the knob. Rita watches him, then follows at a discreet

distance, very worried.

In a small clearing behind the man-made groundhog burrow,

Buster Greene and TWO other GROUNDHOG CLUB OFFICIALS are

lifting a cage into the front seat of Buster's pickup.

B USTER:

(to the groundhog)

There you go, ol' buddy. Good

job. Hey! He smiled at me. See

that?

FIRST OFFICIAL:

Right.

-80-

BUSTER:

(securing the cage)

There, little fella.

The other official looks up and sees Phil walking toward them

like a zombie.

OTHER OFFICIAL:

Hi, there, mister. Something I

can do you for?

Without a word, Phil jumps quickly into the cab of the pickup

and starts it up .

FIRST OFFICIAL:

Hey! What 're you -- !

Phil drives off in Buster's truck.

Rita witnesses the groundhog-napping and runs back toward the

knob.

RITA:

(SHOUTS)

Larry!

Buster and his aides race for another car parked nearby.

BUSTER:

Jake! Call the police, and get

the word out. Somebody kidnapped

Phil. We're going after him.

Come on, Tommy!

They jump into a car, Buster guns the engine and takes off

after the pickup.

Rita runs up to Larry and grabs the camera on the fly.

RITA:

Let's go! Phil just snatched the

groundhog!

Larry does a slow take and starts gathering up the rest of the

gear.

LARRY:

(MUTTERS)

Probably some kind of gerbil

deal. Pervert.

CUT TO:

-81-

EXT. LOCAL ROAD - MINUTES LATER

Phil comes tearing around a slippery curve, followed by Buster

in his car, and close behind him, a contingent of police cars

and the Channel 9 news van.

INT. PICKUP - CONTINUOUS

Phil looks at the groundhog on the seat next to him, then

punches the gas as he turns up a mountain drive.

PHIL:

Coming to the end of the trail,

Phil. Then we're going out in a

blaze of glory.

INT. BUSTER'S CAR - SAME TIME

Buster pursues Phil with relentless determination.

BUSTER:

Nobody takes my groundhog and

gets away with it.

.. · .

INT. THE NEWS VAN - SAME TIME

Rita is driving. Larry is hooking up the camera.

RITA:

(very upset)

What is he doing? What can he be

thinking? He must1 ve just --

snapped.

Larry squeezes into the passenger seat with the camera mounted

on his shoulder .

LARRY:

This oughta be good.

EXT. MOUNTAIN ROAD - CONTINUOUS

The cars chase the pickup to the top of the mountain.

INT. BUSTER'S CAR - CONTINUOUS

BUSTER:

Okay! I know this road. There's

no way off ' cept the way we come

up.

FIRST OFFICIAL:

All right! We got him now.

-82-

EXT. LOGGER'S LEAP - CONTINUOUS

The pickup is losing its lead over the pursuers as it nears the

sharp mountain cliff.

INT. THE PICKUP - SAME TIME

Phil looks in his rearview mirror at the cars chasing him. He

glances down at the groundhog. He takes a breath.

PHIL:

Okay, pal. It's showtime.

Phil hits the gas.

INT. THE NEWS VAN - SAME TIME

Larry is taping as Rita comes around the curve just in time to

see the pickup truck speeding toward the cliff. Rita hits the

brakes and watches in horror.

RITA:

PHIL! NO!

EXT. LOGGER'S LEAP - CONTINUOUS

The pickup bursts through a retaining fence and rockets over

the edge of the cliff.

The pickup seems to hang in the air for a long time, then it

begins its SLOW MOTION descent, falling ever so gracefully

until it impacts on the granite rock face far below.

BIG EXPLOSION. BIG FIREBALL. FLAMING WRECKAGE. Then a small

click, followed by "I Got You, Babe."

DISSOLVE TO:

PHIL:

He slowly opens his eyes and blinks. He looks around and

realizes he's back in his room at the bed and breakfast.

PHIL:

Ah, nuts!

Phil throws off the covers and hurls himself out of bed.

CUT TO:

-83-

INT. NED RYERSON'S OFFICE - DAY

Ned and a client are huddled over his desk, looking at some

papers. A BODY DROPS quickly past the window behind them.

It's Phil.

They rush to the window and look down at the sidewalk three

stories below. Phil is sprawled there like a broken puppet,

lifeless.

INT. PHIL'S ROOM - DAWN

"I Got You, Babe" is playing. Phil wakes up and smashes the

radio.

CUT TO:

EXT. STREET - DAY

Rita and Larry are walking down the street when a GREYHOUND BUS

pulls out of the bus station and accelerates down Main Street.

Suddenly, Phil, dressed in pajamas and overcoat, leaps out in

front of the speeding bus. Rita witnesses the whole incident.

D RIVERS' POV

He sees Phil through the windshield but doesn't even have time

to hit the brakes before he runs right over Phil.

CUT TO:

A TV SCREEN:

A woman in some horror movie is screaming.

REVEAL:

Mrs. Lancaster is watching TV in the parlor of the hotel. In

the corridor behind her, Phil walks by, dressed in a robe,

carrying an electric toaster and a towel, heading for the

bathroom.

A few moments pass.

We hear the zap of an electrocution, the lights and TV flicker

and dim for a moment, then come back on again.

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