Memento Page #3

Synopsis: Memento is a 2000 American neo-noir psychological thriller film directed by Christopher Nolan. The screenplay was written by Nolan based on his younger brother Jonathan Nolan's short story "Memento Mori". It stars Guy Pearce, Carrie-Anne Moss, and Joe Pantoliano.
Genre: Mystery, Thriller
Production: Newmarket Films
  Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 56 wins & 55 nominations.
 
IMDB:
8.5
Metacritic:
80
Rotten Tomatoes:
92%
R
Year:
2000
113 min
$23,844,220
Website
859,240 Views


16 INT. MOTEL ROOM 21 - DAY ##BLACK AND WHITE SEQUENCE## 16

Leonard sits on the bed applying SHAVING FOAM to his thigh.

The ICE BUCKET sits on the bedside table, steaming.

(CONTINUED)

12.

16 CONTINUED:
16

Leonard starts awkwardly SHAVING his right thigh. The PHONE

RINGS and Leonard FLINCHES, NICKING his leg. He looks at the

phone, then reaches for the receiver.

17 INT. A RESTAURANT RESTROOM - DAY 17

Leonard, in BEIGE SUIT and BLUE SHIRT flushes the urinal,

then moves to the sink and starts washing his hands. He

notices a MESSAGE written on the back of his hand.

"REMEMBER SAMMY JANKIS"

He stares at the message for a second, thoughtful, then tries

to scrub the writing off his skin. To his surprise, it is

INDELIBLE. Leonard looks at it, quizzical, then notices some

markings on his wrist, pulling his sleeve back to get a

better look. He can read the start of a message:

"THE FACTS:
"

Leonard is about to roll his sleeve up further when the

restroom door opens and a MAN enters. Leonard dries his

hands, then exits the rest room.

18 INT. RESTAURANT - DAY 18

Leonard emerges .nto the waiting area of a crowded

restaurant. He glances around, lost, then pulls out his

Polaroids, flipping through them. Someone taps him on his

shoulder and he turns to see the smiling face of a waiter.

WAITER:

Sir? You left these at your table.

Leonard looks down. The waiter hands him a BROWN ENVELOPE and

a MOTEL ROOM KEY (DISCOUNT INN, ROOM 304). On the envelope is

a handwritten message:

"FOR LEONARD, FROM NATALIE"

Leonard looks at his Polaroid photograph of the outside of

the Discount Inn motel. There is an address written beneath

it (7254 Lincoln Street). *

LEONARD:

Thanks. Lincoln Street?

The Waiter glances at his Polaroid.

WAITER:

You wanna go east on sixth.

(points)

Just keep straight, all the way out of

town, then take a right.

MEMENTO Pink Revisions - 9/7/99

13.

19 EXT./INT. JAGUAR - DAY 19

Leonard drives, consulting his Polaroid photos.

20 EXT. DISCOUNT INN ROOM 304 - DAY 20 *

Leonard, BROWN ENVELOPE in hand, finds the door to room 304.

21 INT. DISCOUNT INN ROOM 304 - DAY 21 *

Leonard enters, looks around as if for the first time. An

anonymous motel room, except that tacked to one wall is a

HAND-DRAWN CHART showing the layout of some streets, and

stuck to the edges of the chart are POLAROID PHOTOGRAPHS,

with ARROWS DRAWN from each photograph to a spot on the map.

Leonard inspects the photos. Some are buildings, some are

people. All have the HANDWRITTEN NOTES on the broad white strip

underneath the image.

Leonard gets Polaroids out of his pocket. The first one is of

the Discount Inn. He STICKS it onto an already-squashed lump *

of blue tack at the end of an ARROW drawn from a location on

the outskirts of town.

The second photo is a blurred shot of a Brunette turning in a

doorway. The name NATALIE is written under the picture.

Leonard flips it over. On the back are two handwritten

messages. The first one has been completely scribbled over,

but the other one reads:

"SHE HAS ALSO LOST SOMEONE, SHE WILL HELP YOU OUT OF PITY"

Leonard nods, then sticks the photo to the chart. He steps

back looking over the Polaroids one by one: Natalie, Burt,

Discount Inn, Teddy. *

Leonard sits at the desk and opens the BROWN ENVELOPE. He

takes out a photocopy of a CAR REGISTRATION and a DRIVER'S

LICENSE. Both are in the name of JOHN EDWARD GAMMELL, but *

when Leonard looks at the picture on the license, he

recognizes the face. Leonard moves back to his wall chart,

finds the Polaroid of Teddy and compares it to the license

photo.

LEONARD (V.O.)

This guy told me his name was Teddy.

He turns the photo over and examines the white stop on the

back. It says only:

"DON'T BELIEVE HIS LIES"

(CONTINUED)

MEMENTO Blue Revisions - 8/27/99

14.

21 CONTINUED:
21

Leonard smiles. He goes to the phone and dials the number on

the Polaroid. A couple of rings, then it's answered.

TEDDY:

Yup?

LEONARD:

Mr Gammell?

TEDDY:

Lenny, is that you?

LEONARD:

John Gammell?

TEDDY:

Lenny, it's Teddy. Look, stay there,

okay? I'm gonna be right over.

LEONARD:

I'll be waiting. *

Leonard hangs up, thinking. He looks at the writing on the

back of his hand, then pulls back his sleeve to reveal the words:

"THE FACTS:
"

Leonard removes his jacket, then starts pulling off his shirt.

He has WRITING TATTOOED ALL OVER HIS CHEST, STOMACH AND ARMS.

MESSAGES in different styles of writing, some CRUDE, some

ELABORATE. The messages run in all directions, some UPSIDE-

DOWN, some BACKWARDS. Leonard examines his tattoos,

methodically. From Leonard's POV, the most striking is an

upside-down tattoo on his BELLY which says:

"PHOTOGPAPH:
HOUSE, CAR, FRIEND, FOE"

On one FOREARM it says:

"THE FACTS:

FACT 1. MALE

FACT 2. WHITE"

On the other FOREARM:

"FACT 3. FIRST NAME: JOHN OR JAMES

FACT 4. LASTNAME: G-------"

(CONTINUED)

MEMENTO Pink Revisions - 9/7/99

15.

21 CONTINUED:
(2) 21

Leonard pulls down his trousers. On his right THIGH, crudely-

lettered:

"FACT 5. DRUG DEALER"

And immediately below this, in elegant, neat lettering:

"FACT 6. CAR LICENSE NUMBER: SG13 7IU" *

Leonard takes out the REGISTRATION DOCUMENT and examines it.

Holding the photo of Teddy and the registration document,

Leonard checks off his TATTOOED FACTS:

LEONARD (cont'd)

(under his breath)

White... male. First name... John. Last

name... G for Gammell. Drugs. License *

plate.

(checks document against tattoo

on thigh)

SG... 13... 7... IU. It's him. It's *

actually him.

Leonard looks coldly at Teddy's smiling image.

LEONARD (cont'd)

I found you, you f***.

Leonard turns the photo face down, takes a pen and writes:

"HE IS THE ONE"

Leonard drops the pen. Thinks. He looks at his chest through

the mirror and a backwards tattoo suddenly BECOMES CLEAR:

"JOHN G. RAPED AND MURDERED MY WIFE"

Leonard buttons his blue shirt, then writes on the back of

Teddy's picture:

"KILL HIM"

Leonard sticks the photo of Teddy BETWEEN HIS TEETH as he

holds his HANDGUN up and checks that it is loaded. He sticks

the GUN in the back of his waistband.

22 INT. MOTEL ROOM 21 - DAY ##BLACK AND WHITE SEQUENCE## 22

Leonard, in his boxers and plaid work shirt, shaving foam on

thigh, drops his disposable razor and cautiously picks up the

RINGING PHONE.

(CONTINUED)

MEMENTO Blue Revisions - 8/27/99

16.

22 CONTINUED:
22

LEONARD:

Who is this?

(listens) *

He unbuttons his shirt.

LEONARD (cont'd)

And we spoke earlier? I don't remember *

that.

(listens)

Well, yeah, but it's not amnesia. I *

remember everything from before my

injury, I just can't make any new

memories.

(listens)

Leonard pulls his shirt off. There is a BANDAGE on his LEFT

ARM. He looks do at the TATTOOS ALL OVER HIS CHEST, STOMACH*

AND ARMS.

Rate this script:3.6 / 12 votes

Christopher Nolan

Christopher Edward Nolan (born 30 July 1970) is an English-American film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is one of the highest-grossing directors in history, and among the most successful and acclaimed filmmakers of the 21st century. more…

All Christopher Nolan scripts | Christopher Nolan Scripts

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Submitted by acronimous on February 22, 2016

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