Leaving Las Vegas Page #8

CUT TO:

71 EXT. THE STRIP - NIGHT

Sera at work is looking more carefully than usual, hoping to

see Ben. A huge silver limo pulls up and, after some

negotiation, she gets in.

CUT TO:

72 EXT. THE STRIP - NIGHT

Long-lens shot of Ben, very drunk on the street. He falls and

lies still for quite a long time before getting up. He falls

into the road and tries to hail a cab, but none stops. A cop

car cruises to a halt and Ben more or less imitates a normal

person as he walks out of shot.

73 EXT. THE POOL, MOTEL - DAY

Ben dives in and swims a length under water. He pulls himself

out and sits next to the large Midwestern family. The father

says hello and introduces his family to Ben. They are all

very friendly. It�s a nice atmosphere around this pool and

for a moment Ben even looks healthy.

CUT TO:

74 EXT. THE STRIP - NIGHT

A limo pulls up and Sera gets out. She sees something.

SERA�S POV

Ben sitting at a bus stop, drinking out of a cocktail glass.

When he sees her he gets up, a little unsteadily.

BEN:

I couldn�t remember what

happened last time. I was

afraid that I might have been

rude, or mean to you.

He looks at her.

BEN:

If I was I�m sorry.

SERA:

No, just drunk... but that�s

OK. Where�s your car?

BEN:

I sold it this morning. I�m

going to take cabs from now

on in.

Sera looks up and down the strip.

BEN:

Don�t run away.

SERA:

(defensive)

Why should I? I know you�re

not a cop, so what is it

tonight? Another two-fifty to

watch you sleep?

Ben sits down, a little hurt.

SERA:

What�s up?

BEN:

I was looking for you

tonight. I don�t know if you

have a boyfriend...

He thinks.

BEN:

... or a girlfriend, but if

you have some free

time... maybe we could have

dinner.

SERA:

(tough again, but pleased)

Are you serious.

BEN:

(deadly serious)

I think you know I�m serious.

I�ll pay you if you

like... but I�d like to see

you.

SERA:

No, I can�t have dinner with

you.

And she hails a taxi, which stops immediately and she gets

in.

SERA:

The Mojave Hotel, please.

Ben watches the cab drive off.

CUT TO:

75 INT. CORRIDOR OF HOTEL - NIGHT

Sera walks along, checking numbers on the doors. She finds

the right one and knocks firmly.

YURI (v.o)

Yes? What?

SERA:

It�s me, Yuri.

The door opens a crack and Yuri peers out.

YURI:

Sera! It�s...

He looks around for a clock.

YURI:

...it�s late.

76 INT. YURI�S ROOM - NIGHT

Sera comes into the room, takes her purse out and counts out

seven hundred dollars.

SERA:

Sorry, Yuri... good

night... lots of tricks... I

think things are picking up.

Yuri sits on the bed. He looks unwell and disoriented. His

face is covered with a thin film of sweat. He seems to be

listening for something, because he stops her talking by

putting his fingers to his lips. He looks at her and then

beckons her to the bed. Sera is nervous. As she walks to the

bed, she begins unbuttoning her blouse. Yuri stops her with a

wave of his hand. Sera is puzzled and frightened now. Yuri

seems to be deranged.

YURI:

Have you told anyone that I�m

here?

SERA:

No.

Yuri suddenly hears something. He grabs Sera�s hand and takes

her to the wall. He presses her head to the wall.

YURI:

Do you here that?

He looks at her.

YURI:

They�re talking about me.

He pulls himself together.

YURI:

Go, Sera.

(whispers)

Go. Stay at home. I will call

you tomorrow.

SERA:

Yuri... are you...

YURI:

(patiently)

Sera... please go.

He indicates the wall.

YURI:

This is very important... and

I must listen. Now go.

They face each other for a moment and then Yuri does an

almost comic gesture to tell her to go. He hustles her to the

door and shoves her out as she is still buttoning up her

blouse. He slams the door.

YURI:

(through the door)

Goodbye, Sera. Don�t come

back here. I will not see you

again.

Sera stands there for a while, almost in shock, and then she

begins to walk. The camera follows her as she makes her way

down the endless corridor of doors. Ahead of her, three men

are walking towards her, checking the door numbers as they

make their way. Sera doesn�t take them in. They pass and turn

a corner. We recognize them as the men from the black

towncar.

ANGLE:

The men have stopped outside Yuri�s room. The camera pans and

we see Sera down the other corridor getting into the

elevator.

FADE OUT:

77 INT. BEN�S ROOM AT THE MOTEL - NIGHT

Ben is lying on the bed watching a game show, drinking.

A coughing fit hits him. He is very short of breath. We see

how ill he really is.

There is a tap at the door.

BEN:

No thanks... I�m fine.

The tapping persists and eventually Ben gets off the bed and

unlocks it, but keeps the chain on. It is Sera.

SERA:

Still want to have dinner?

Ben stares at her for a while.

BEN:

Yes.

SERA:

I have to change and take a

shower first. If you want to

come home and wait.

Ben opens the door.

SERA:

We should pick up a bottle of

tequila on the way. I owe you

one.

BEN:

You do?

CUT TO:

78 INT. SERA�S HOUSE - NIGHT

Sera is finishing in the shower and Ben is sitting at the

kitchen table. He gets up and walks around the house, trying

to get a sense of her. The furniture is very plain and there

is spartan quality about the hose. He looks with interest at

the bookshelf, which has a good selection of literature.

BEN:

(to himself)

This is the home of an angel.

SERA (off-screen)

You OK out there?

BEN:

Yes. Take your time. I�m

fine.

He pours himself another drink.

SERA (off-screen)

Pour yourself another drink.

He sots down and she comes in, toweling her hair.

SERA:

You OK?

BEN:

Of course. Wow... you look

extremely beautiful.

SERA:

Thank you. What time is it?

BEN:

Don�t know. My watch went the

way of the car.

He holds up his empty wrist for her to see. Then looks up and

sees her watching him.

BEN:

I�m rambling. I really like

you. You make me want to

talk... I don�t know what time

it is.

SERA:

I like hearing you talk.

(businesslike)

If you feel up to a short

walk, there�s a place to eat

around the corner. All the

food in Vegas is terrible so

the place doesn�t really

matter. How does that sound

to you?

BEN:

Do they have drinks?

CUT TO:

79 EXT. THE STRIP - NIGHT

Ben and Sera walk and talk.

80 INT. RESTAURANT - NIGHT

Ben and Sera are eating. He plays with his food, eating very

little of it. Finally he pushes it away and orders another

drink.

SERA:

I�m from the East. I went to

college, did an arts course.

I now live in Vegas. I think

of it as home. I came here

deliberately to carve out a

life. I was in LA before, but

I�ll come back to that later.

(pause)

The tough times are behind me

now. I can deal with the bad

things that happen. There

will always be dark

characters. But my life is

good. It is as I would want

it to be. So, why are you a

drunk?

BEN:

Is that really what you want

to ask me?

SERA:

Yes.

BEN:

(worried)

Well, then I guess this is

our first date... or our last.

Until now, I wasn�t sure it

was either.

SERA:

Very clever.

Sera thinks for a while and decides to give in to him on

this.

SERA:

First. It�s our first. I�m

just concerned. So... why are

you killing yourself?

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes