Maverick Page #7

40.

41 INT. STAGECOACH -DAY 41

Inside the coach. Coop is getting ready for action.

COOP:

(to Maverick)

Go on up there and stop the

stage -

MAVERICK:

--I'm not sure I want to do

that -

COOP:

--the wheel is coming loose! -

if it falls off, we're all of us

dead --I'll climb out and secure

it, you handle the driver --let's

go -

MAVERICK:

He nods, reaches out for the nearest door, shoves it open

and -

42 EXT. STAGECOACH -DAY 42

Maverick, moving out the door --and this is the beginning

of a really hairy journey.

TERRAIN:

flying by. Bumpy and dusty and

MAVERICK:

holding on to the side of the stage. It's not a matter

here of him falling off --he's too powerful and athletic

for that --but he's blinded by the dust and is trying

like hell to get his bearings. Plus, this is not

anyone's idea of comfort.

TERRAIN:

A huge rut -

MAVERICK:

flying half off the stage, managing to hold on, pull himself

back to where he was and now, coughing and still unable

to see a lot, he begins his climb.

RAILING:

around the roof as he grabs hold, first with one hand,

then with the other and -(

CONTINUED)

41.

42 CONTINUED:
42

HORSES:

pounding along --as they hit another huge rut -MAVERICK

being flipped up and onto the roof, where he lands hard,

but still manages to keep hold of the railing.

42A INT. STAGECOACH -DAY 42A

Coop sits as calmly and comfortably as possible, listening

to the sounds of Maverick's efforts from above.

Annabelle is confused, and just a bit frightened.

ANNABELLE:

You said we'd die if the wheel

came off.

COOP:

Rest easy, Miss Annabelle, wheel

is just fine.

ANNABELLE:

(it's getting scarier

--she reaches for him)

For protection, you don't mind?

COOP:

(shyly)

Proud as a peacock.

ANNABELLE:

(glancing up as more

sounds come from

the roof)

You don't think he'll kill you?

COOP:

(nah)

In the long run, the lad will thank

me in his prayers.

As he continues to hold the frightened Annabelle -42B

EXT. STAGECOACH -ROOF & MAVERICK -DAY 42B

The terrain is getting bumpier -(

CONTINUED)

42.

42B

CONTINUED:
42B

--and this is where it starts to get tricky --he inches

forward across the luggage toward where the driver is ---

except there's a difference in level. The driver is

several feet below and getting down has to be timed just

right because if you hit a bump when you're trying to get

off the roof --not a good thing.

DRIVER:

He lies sprawled and motionless on the seat. The reins

are still in his hands --but loose --he has no control

over the animals.

MAVERICK:

getting ready to lower himself down and -HORSES

picking up speed and -TERRAIN

flashing by and -MAVERICK

making his move and -GIGANTIC

RUT:

and -MAVERICK

thrown wildly off balance as he tries to get to the

driver's seat and as he is about to fall off the entire

rampaging stage -

42C

INT. STAGECOACH -DAY 42C

Coop, peering out the window toward the front where

Maverick is. He starts to chuckle.

COOP:

(going back to

Annabelle, a sweet

memory)

How well I remember my first

runaway stage -(

MORE)

(CONTINUED)

43.

42C CONTINUED:
42C

COOP (CONT'D)

(to Annabelle)

There's a knack to doing it.

(as she sits alongside

him now)

More protection?

(as she nods)

Thought so.

As she holds him tight -

43 EXT. STAGECOACH 43

Maverick, managing to grab the driver, who doesn't look

any worse than when we first met him except now he is

dead. Plus, being dead, he's not grabbing hold of anything

that's of any use to Maverick, so his body begins

sliding along the seat and -

MAVERICK:

off the stage now and getting, he realizes, very close to

sh*t creek -

--he makes a desperate lunge, just manages to grab hold

of the railing that circles the driver's seat as we -

DEAD DRIVER:

sliding along, still holding the reins, his body coming

closer and closer to Maverick and -

MAVERICK:

letting go of the dead driver, grabbing the rail with

both hands, forcing himself up to the seat just as the

dead driver starts to fall off it -

--but not before Maverick can grab him, pull him back on

so now they're both on the driver's seat, Maverick reaching

for the reins, which brings the dead driver's arms

around his neck.

MAVERICK:

doing his best to ignore the corpse and take control of

the reins -

--which at last, thank God, he does -

--and laying the corpse onto the seat he takes the

reins, one in each of his powerful hands -

(CONTINUED)

44.

43 43

CONTINUED:

MAVERICK:

(roaring)

Just whoa, goddamit!

And as soon as he utters his mighty command -HORSES

as they start to go faster ---

they are zooming along now and -Maverick,

as their sudden burst almost pulls him out of

the seat, catapulting him forward and -43A

INT. STAGECOACH -DAY 43A

Coop and Annabelle, getting bounced all the hell around.

ANNABELLE:

You don't think it might be nice

to go out there and help him?

COOP:

I could do that, absolutely --but

after he's worked so hard, he

might resent it. Something tells

me that inside that buffoon,

there's a real human being trying

to get out.

*

*

*

*

ANNABELLE:

You think it's possible.

*

*

COOP:

God moves in mysterious ways...

*

*

From them -43B

EXT. STAGECOACH -DAY 43B

The corpse, lying on the seat, bumping up and down and -MAVERICK

steaming mad now --he takes the reins again, really

pulls on them with everything he's got. This time he

shouts --

Timberrr!

MAVERICK:

CLOSEUP -MAVERICK

Stunned --my God, it worked.

45.

44 EXT. STAGECOACH -SLOWING -DAY 44

The horses, at last slowing and, exhausted, as they come

to a halt -45

EXT. STAGECOACH -DAY 45

Stopped. Maverick, wiped out, taking a deep breath as he

sits for a moment on the driver's seat.

COOP AND ANNABELLE

getting out of the stage.

MAVERICK:

still bleary from what he's been through. Without paying

attention, he jumps to the ground ---

which is a mistake ---

he should have been paying attention ---

because the stage has been halted on the lip of a

three thousand-foot cliff.

MAVERICK:

landing, losing his balance ---

the cliff is very sheer ---

he realizes his situation now, begins waving his arms,

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