Joker Page #18

EXTREME CLOSE ON TV, GRAINY VIDEO OF JOKER'S STAND-UP

PERFORMANCE. Joker on stage smiling behind the microphone,

under the harsh spotlight.

Joker watching himself on TV, his jaw drops--

JOKER (ON TV)

(trying to stop himself

from laughing)

-- good evening, hello.

(deep breath; trying to

stop laughing)

Good to be here.

(keeps cracking up)

I, I hated school as a kid. But my

mother would always say,--

(bad imitation of his mom,

still laughing)

"You should enjoy it. One day

you'll have to work for a living."

(laughs)

"No I won't, Ma. I'm gonna be a

comedian!"

Back to Murray Franklin shaking his head, trying not to

laugh.

MURRAY FRANKLIN (ON TV)

You should have listened to your

mother.

The studio audience erupts into laughter.

ANGLE ON JOKER, watching Murray Franklin make fun of him on

TV. He gets up and starts walking toward the TV set as if in

a trance. Unsure if this is really happening.

MURRAY FRANKLIN (ON TV)

One more, Bernie. Let's see one

more. I love this guy.

The tape continues of Joker at the comedy club.

JOKER (ON TV)

It's funny, when I was a little boy

and told people I wanted to be a

comedian, everyone laughed at me.

(opens his arms like a big

shot)

Well no one is laughing now.

Dead silence. Nobody is laughing. Not even him.

CUT BACK CLOSE ON MURRAY FRANKLIN, just shaking his head.

68.

MURRAY FRANKLIN (ON TV)

You can say that again, pal!

Murray cracks up and the studio audience laughs along with

him.

CLOSE ON JOKER, looking up at the television, hearing them

all laughing at him.

Beat.

JUMP CUT:

Joker is dragging a chair to the television set.

In a rage, he gets up on the chair and tries to pull the TV

out of the wall, as the show continues to play--

But the set is firmly secured to the wall, and Joker pulls so

hard the chair flips from underneath him and he goes flying

up the air, crashing down hard onto the floor.

64 INT. CAFETERIA, CITY HOSPITAL - EARLY MORNING 64

Joker walks with a plastic tray of food. Some runny eggs and

a coffee. He keeps his head down so no one can see his face.

There are a few DOCTORS AND NURSES sitting and chatting at

one table. A group of ORDERLIES are sitting together at

another table.

He goes and sits down in the far corner, far away from

everyone else. Sees a tabloid newspaper left on the table,

and picks it up to read so he doesn't seem so alone.

ANGLE ON FRONT PAGE HEADLINE, "Thomas Wayne Announces Run",

over a full-page campaign-style photograph of Thomas Wayne

waving to a crowd standing next to his wife, MARTHA (50's), a

severe looking, well-preserved former model, and little Bruce

Wayne standing in front of them. Photo catches Bruce looking

into camera, eyes wide, scared by the crowd.

SUB-HEADLINE READS, "Protest Planned at Wayne Hall Opening

Tonight"

Joker stares at the family photo.

CLOSE ON BRUCE WAYNE IN PHOTO, Joker's fingers ripping his

picture out of the front page.

YOUNG DOCTOR (OS)

-- I'm sorry to bother you, but can

you settle an argument for us?

69.

CLOSE ON JOKER LOOKING UP, interrupted from ripping out the

picture. One YOUNG DOCTOR and TWO NURSES are standing around

him. We stay with Joker, don't see their faces. Just their

bodies, all dressed in green scrubs, uniforms.

JOKER:

Excuse me?

YOUNG DOCTOR (OS)

You were the guy on Murray Franklin

last night, right?

He hears the nurses giggle.

JOKER:

No, sorry. Wasn't me.

NURSE #1 (OS)

Of course it was you. You were the

comedian.

YOUNG DOCTOR (OS)

Except you weren't funny. You

didn't tell any jokes.

He hears the nurses giggle again.

STAY CLOSE ON JOKER, getting upset. He just shakes his head.

JOKER:

I don't know what you're talking

about.

YOUNG DOCTOR (OS)

No. It was definitely you, buddy.

You're the guy who couldn't stop

laughing. Murray killed you.

More laughter. Joker looks up at them.

JOKER:

If I were you, I'd walk away from

this table before I strangle all

three of you with that f***ing

stethoscope hanging from your neck.

Beat.

65 EXT. CENTER FOR PERFORMING ARTS, WAYNE HALL - UPTOWN - DUSK

65

Joker crosses a busy street heading to the Center for

Performing Arts. Light falling. Storm clouds gathering.

70.

Joker stops when he sees--

A CROWD OF PROTESTERS SCREAMING AND SHOUTING IN FRONT OF

WAYNE HALL, behind steel barricades. Many wearing Joker's

"clown face" mask... A few wave homemade signs, "CLOWN FOR

MAYOR"... "KILL THE RICH"... "MR. WAYNE, AM I A CLOWN?"

A LINE OF POLICEMEN AND SECURITY GUARDS stand between the

crowd and the lit-up white marble building.

Joker watches the protest for a moment, then continues across

the street. It starts to rain.

66 EXT. WAYNE HALL, FRONT ENTRANCE - EVENING 66

A FIGHT BREAKS OUT between a "clown" masked protester and two

cops. The crowd goes crazy, pushing through the barricades

toward the building in the driving rain. The police and Wayne

Hall Security fight to keep them out--

Amidst all the chaos, we glimpse Joker slipping into the

building unnoticed--

67 INT. LOBBY, WAYNE HALL - EVENING 67

Joker walks through the massive multi-level lobby. It's

completely empty since the performance has already begun and

whatever security was available is outside helping the police

deal with the protesters.

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