Jaws Page #14

HOOPER:

Well, if one man can catch a fish in

50 days, then I guess 50 of these

bozos can catch a fish in one day --

beginner's luck.

BRODY:

(crossing to men around

shark)

You did it! Did Ben Gardner catch

this?

Men ad lib "No, I caught it..." "I hooked him," etc.

MEADOWS:

Okay, everybody, I want to get a

picture for the paper -- could

everyone clear out of the way?

He continues to call directions and move people out of the

way to set up his shot. Hooper is measuring the shark.

MEADOWS:

Could you get out of the shot, young

man?

HOOPER:

Who, me? Okay...

(he drifts off)

The men (Felix, Pratt, et al) get Brody to join them in the

shot. The whole town and the Armada fishermen all line up in

a classic "high school" graduating class shot with the

victorious fishermen kneeling in front, and the rest of the

Armada and Townspeople arranged behind them. Hendricks hold

up the "Beach Closed" sign in ironic victory.

ANGLE SHOWING VAUGHN APPROACHING THE DOCK

Brody spots the Mayor coming towards the dock, and detaches

himself from the group to join him.

BRODY:

Larry, if you'd see these clowns

leave, you'd never believe they'd

come back with anything. But they

got him!

VAUGHN:

That's good. That's real good. Ben

Meadows getting pictures for the

paper.

BRODY:

Sure he is.

HOOPER AND THE FISHERMEN

The men who landed the monster are in a tight cluster,

debating something with Hooper, who is dwarfed by the big

beer bellies and ham-fisted hands all around him. It's

probable we don't even see him.

The Men ad lib "What kind of shark is this?" "It's a shark

like in the movies they got sharks." "It's a man-eater, for

sure." "I bet it's a record-breaker," etc.

HOOPER (O.S.)

It's a tiger shark. Very rare in

these waters, and definitely a

maneater.

Hooper enters the circle, and picks up where he left off,

measuring the shark's teeth. Others watch him. Charlie and

Denherder walk over to the shark. Charlie punches it.

BRODY AND VAUGHN

They are walking down to the shark together.

VAUGHN:

Who's that young man?

BRODY:

Matt Hooper, the specialist they

send down from the Oceanographic

Institute.

VAUGHN:

(speaking to everyone)

I think we all owe a debt of gratitude

to these men for catching this

monster.

Brody and Vaughn are by now near the circle of fishermen,

who are surrounding Hooper, raising their voices at him.

PRATT:

Whadya mean, 'Bite Radius?' What's

that?

GAFFER:

Teeth are teeth, right?

HOOPER:

I didn't say this wasn't the shark,

I just said I wasn't sure this was

the one...

BRODY:

What d'ya mean?

HOOPER:

There are hundreds of different kinds

of sharks; makos, blues, hammerheads,

white-tips... any one of them could've

attacked. Look -- shark digestion is

slow. We could open this one up, and

find whatever he's been eating is

still inside.

VAUGHN:

That's disgusting! This is the

largest, meanest, most vicious shark

ever landed off Amity Island, and a

known maneater!

HOOPER:

Let's just cut him open and see what's

inside...

BRODY:

Why not, Larry? We could get a

positive confirmation that way.

VAUGHN:

Be reasonable, boys -- this isn't

the time or the place to do some

kind of half-assed autopsy on a fish.

Ben...

(to Meadows)

do you have all the pictures you

need?

MEADOWS:

Plenty.

HOOPER:

Wait a minute...

Felix, Pratt and the others ad lib disagreement. "You're not

gonna cut up my trophy," etc.

VAUGHN:

(seeing something

offstage, with low

intensity)

I am not going to stand here and

watch this fish cut open and see

some kid fall out on the dock.

Besides...

(he indicates off)

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