Groundhog Day Page #24

CUT TO:

EXT. MAIN STREET '··-.. LATER

Phil drops Rita off and watches as she crosses the street to

Larry who is waiting on the other side.

Across the street, Rita takes a wistful glance toward Phil,

then gets in the news van and drives off.

Phil gets out of the car and starts walking, but finds himself

face to face with Ned Ryerson.

NED:

Phil! Phil Connors! I thought

that was you!

PHIL:

Ned? Ned Ryerson! I don't

believe it. I've missed you so

much.

-104-

Phil gives Ned a big hug and keeps holding on for an

uncomfortably long time, actually giving Ned a hickey on the

neck. Ned goes into homophobic shock.

NED:

Uh, I gotta get going. Nice to

see you, Phil.

He hurries off.

CUT TO:

INT. MARY'S HOUSE - DAY

Phil is sitting on the piano bench with Mary, playing pretty

well. Mary is astonished.

MARY:

How long have you been studying,

Mr. Connors?

PHIL:

One day. I'm gifted.

CUT TO:

EXT. STREET - DAY

Phil is walking down the street. He glances down the alley as

he passes, stops, walks back and enters the alley. The OLD BUM

that Phil never noticed before is lying there, huddled against

a wall. Phil goes to help him.

PHIL:

Hey, mister. Hey. Come on,

let's get you somewhere warm.

The old bum turns to look at Phil, then closes his eyes.

PHIL:

(helps the old man to

his feet)

There you go.

Phil practically carries him out of the alley.

CUT TO:

INT. HOSPITAL EMERGENCY ROOM - NIGHT

A nurse approaches Phil.

NURSE:

You the one brought in the old

man?

-105-

PHIL:

How is he?

NURSE:

He passed away just now.

Phil pauses for a long moment.

PHIL:

What'd he die of?

NURSE:

(SHRUGS)

He was just old. It was his

time.

PHIL:

I want to see his chart. Excuse

me.

Phil brushes past her and makes for the big double doors

leading to triage.

NURSE:

Sir, you can't --

(hurrying after him)

Look! Some people just die!

PHIL:

Not on my watch.

CUT TO:

INT. DINER - MORNING

Phil is propping up the old man at a table, trying to feed him

hot soup.

CUT TO:

INT. HOSPITAL - DAY

Phil is furiously looking over X-rays, flipping through medical

journals and making notes.

CUT TO:

EXT. ALLEY - NIGHT

Phil is in the alley, shaking the old man, trying to rouse him.

PHIL:

Come on . Hang on . Hang on ,

there . Breathe .

-106-

Phil stops. The body lies, unmoving. Phil sits back,

breathing heavily.

CUT TO:

EXT. GOBBLER'S KNOB - DAWN

Phil is delivering his report. Everyone there is silent and

listening to Phil. Even the other reporters have turned their

cameras on him.

PHIL:

...When Chekhov saw the long

winter, it was a winter bleak and

dark and bereft of hope; and yet,

we know winter's only one more

step in the cycle. And standing

among the people of Punxsutawney --

(Phil looks directly at

RITA)

-- basking in the warmth of their

hearths and hearts, I couldn't

imagine a better fate than a long

and lustrous winter.

Phil smiles. Rita smiles, too.

PHIL:

For Channel 9 news, I ' m Phil

Connors.

There is much applause. Even Larry brushes away a tear.

Phil hands the microphone to Rita.

RITA:

PHIL--

PHIL:

Sorry. I'm gonna be late.

Phil rushes off.

RITA:

Late for what? Phil?

(To Larry)

Could you break it down and wrap

out of here by yourself, Larry?

LARRY:

Sure .

RITA:

Thanks .

-107-

Rita rushes off after Phil.

CUT TO:

EXT. STREET CORNER - DAY

Phil walks briskly toward an intersection, glancing nervously

at his watch. Rita follows him at a distance, hurrying to keep

up.

MARIE, a little nine-year-old girl, approaches the intersection

shielding her brand new puppy under her winter coat. She isn't

paying attention to traffic and fails to notice a big truck

bearing down on her.

As she steps off the curb, Phil arrives and, with split-second

timing, nonchalantly but firmly grabs her coat to hold her

back, just as the big truck rushes past in the street, narrowly

missing her.

PHIL:

Hey! Did you forget to look both

ways? You didn't even look one

way.

MARIE:

My doggie was cold.

PHIL:

Yeah, well, my doggies are

freezing, but I ' m still gonna

watch out for cars. See you

around, kid.

Phil looks at his watch and rushes off.

Rita looks on amazed and follows him at a distance.

CUT TO:

INT. BERGHOF RESTAURANT - DAY

Phil enters the crowded restaurant and pushes past all the

people waiting to be seated. He walks casually but quickly and

purposefully around the tables, squeezing past busy waitresses

and seated patrons toward a commotion in the back of the

restaurant.

TWO BUSINESSMEN are leaning over a THIRD.

BUSINESSMAN:

Oh, my God! He's having a heart

attack!

SECOND BUSINESSMAN

Lay him down!

-108-

BUSINESSMAN:

What do I do? He's not

BREATHING1

SECOND BUSINESSMAN

He's turning blue! Help!

Phil walks straight up to the BLUE-FACED MAN, grabs him from

behind, gets him in the Heimlich grip and squeezes sharply.

A bolus of food flies across the room. The victim coughs and

sputters, then starts breathing again.

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