Hero Page #17

ESPINOSA:

You have the right to remain silent,

you have the right to --

BERNIE:

Hey, this is bullshit! Do you guys

know who I am? You know where I

got the goddamn plastic? I got a

million bucks coming. I'm the guy

who...

ESPINOSA:

(continuing)

You have the right to the counsel

of an attorney...

ANGLE ON CHICK:

Watching BERNIE being hustled out of the bar, handcuffed,

protesting loudly.

BERNIE:

CHICK, CALL MY ATTORNEY! THIS IS

BULLSHIT! ENTRAPMENT! I GOT A

MILLION BUCKS COMING, FOR CHRISSAKE!

MONTAGE:
PRINTING PRESSES - DAY

Newspapers roll off the presses one after another.

THE TIMES features "The Image" with a headline over the firey

scene trumpeting "AN ANGEL FOR FLIGHT 104?"

THE MIRROR is tighter on the image featuring an enlargement of

the silhouette of Bernie with a headline asking "WHO IS HE?"

THE HERALD features a full page photo of the single muddy shoe

with a headline supered over it announcing "SEARCH FOR MR.

CINDERELLA!"

and finally THE TRIBUNE screams in massive black letters "ONE

MILLION DOLLAR REWARD!"

EXT. STREET CORNER/CITY - DAY

A NEWS VENDOR is waving a paper and shouting...

NEWS VENDOR:

ONE MILLION DOLLAR REWARD TO THE

UNANIMOUS HERO! ONE MILLION BUCKS

FOR THE "ANGEL" WHO SAVED FIFTY

PEOPLE AND TOOK OFF!

A WOMAN walks by with a tee-shirt featuring "The Image." The

spectacular picture looks great on the contours of her chest!

EXT. TV STATION - DAY

PARKER, the youthful Channel Four gofer/runner, moves along a

seemingly endless line of WANNABE HEROES that stretches along

the sidewalk outside Channel Four and disappears around the

corner. He's addressing them at the top of his lungs...

PARKER:

PLEASE, IF YOUR FOOT ISN'T A SIZE

10-B, DON'T REMAIN IN LINE. WE'RE

ONLY SEEING SIZE 10-B "HEROES."

GROANS and CATCALLS from the WANNABES, as we MOVE ALONG the line,

eavesdropping on various WANNABES...

AFRICAN AMERICAN

Thass a racist perspective, assuming

that because something heroic was

done that a white man done it. A

man with mud on his face could be

a man of any color, most likely was,

which is true in this case cause

it was me! With mud all over me.

Two other WANNABES are squaring off to fight...

1ST FIGHTER

You call me a liar, I'm gonna kick

your ass.

2ND FIGHTER

Hey, it's not just me sayin' you

ain't no hero. Everybody in the

goddamn line says you ain't the

hero.

ANOTHER WANNABE:

Can you believe this? Must be more

than a thousand phonies after my

reward.

A WANNABE with mud smeared on his face spots GALE approaching

the front door of the station, a look of amazement on her face

at the length of the line.

MUD-FACE WANNABE

HEY, MISS GAYLEY! HEY, GALE!

REMEMBER ME? I'M THE GUY! I SAVED

YOUR LIFE! REMEMBER --

Rolling her eyes good naturedly, GALE walks briskly up the steps

to the front door of the station, passing PARKER who's measuring

a TALL WANNABE'S feet. The TALL WANNABE calls out to her.

TALL WANNABE:

My foot's only eight and a half but

I wear a ten B for the comfort.

I swear!

(she keeps walking)

Hey, Miss Gayley, I saved your life!

Just as GALE is about to enter the TV station, PARKER catches

up to her.

PARKER:

Hey, Miss Gayley, there's a cop

looking for you. From Robbery

Detail, Inspector Dayton. He wants

you to call him.

GALE:

What about?

PARKER:

I didn't ask him.

GALE:

Call him back. Ask him.

(indicating the line)

I'm a little...busy.

GALE disappears into the TV Station.

INT. DEAKINS' OFFICE - DAY

WALLACE is looking down at the line of WANNABES.

INT. COURTROOM - DAY

JUDGE GOINES is addressing a miserable looking CRIMINAL...

JUDGE GOINES:

Bail in this matter will remain

in the sum of five thousand

dollars. Next.

DISCOVER MENDOZA, ESPINOSA AND VARGAS

carrying on a whispered discussion with an African American

detective (DAYTON) in the spectator section (AS THE COURT

PROCEEDINGS CONTINUE IN THE BACKGROUND). MENDOZA indicates

something at the rear of the room to DAYTON who follows his

look.

DAYTON'S P.O.V.

A group of PRISONERS have just been led in the side door from

a holding cell and a BAILIFF is removing the handcuffs that

tied the PRISONERS together. One of the PRISONERS is BERNIE

LAPLANTE. DONNA approaches him as the BAILIFF uncuffs him.

She speaks to him but her words are inaudible to DAYTON.

ANGLE ON DAYTON:

as he watches BERNIE from a distance, nods affirmatively to

something MENDOZA whispers in his ear. We realize we'll be

seeing DAYTON again...

ANGLE ON DONNA:

astonished, reacting to BERNIE in a sharp whisper...

DONNA:

"The Angel of Flight 104!" You're

telling me you're the A...?

BERNIE:

(whispering)

"Angel!" I didn't say "angel,"

that's a little strong. Listen,

here's the thing, I gotta get over

there to the TV station to collect

my million bucks.

DONNA:

Mister LaPlante, I really want to

help you, but crazy stories are

only going to make it worse. The

D.A. is asking your bail be set

at twenty-five thousand dollars

because you were arrested again

while you were out on bail...

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