Michael Clayton Page #3

MR. GREER

But now, you see, when it rains?

With this new angle, and they putthese new these sodium lamps -- it’sblinding, that turn there. Just

blinding.

MICHAEL:

They’ll have to take a look at that.

MR. GREER

And this, it’s not just tonight.

I’ve been saying this for years.

(to his wife)

How many times have we talked aboutthat corner? Gen?

MRS. GREER silent. Numb.

MICHAEL:

Mr. Greer, we don’t have a great dealof time to work with here.

MR. GREER’s anxiety sharpening. Arrogance under siege.

MR. GREER

So the circumstances, road conditions,

none of this holds any interest foryou?

MICHAEL:

What interests me right now is findingthe strongest criminal attorney thatcan get here in the next fifteenminutes.

MR. GREER

(bristling)

Well, that sounds ominous...

MICHAEL:

We have some good relationships uphere in Westchester.

MR. GREER

So what are you? You’re not a lawyer?

MICHAEL:

Not the kind you need.

MR. GREER

What kind is that?

MICHAEL:

You need a trial lawyer. Someone

to see this all the way through.

That’s not what I do.

There it is. And MR. GREER doesn’t like it one bit.

MR. GREER

I think we’re gonna need to pull Walter

back in on this.

(like it’s some kind of

business meeting)

I want to get him back on the phone,

get him into the mix. Because, I’ll

be frank, I’m not sure I like the waythis is going.

MICHAEL:

Sir...

(cut the crap)

We don’t have time for Walter.

Your options here, they’re gonna getsmaller very quickly.

MR. GREER

What options? I’m not hearing anyoptions.

MICHAEL:

I’m suggesting you go local. I’m

telling you there’s several people uphere I like for this.

MR. GREER

And that’s it? That’s what you’ve got?

(to his wife)

You believe this?

(MORE)

MR. GREER (cont'd)

(incredulous)

I’ve been a client at Kenner, Bach

for twelve years! You think I paythat retainer every month for a placeat the back of the line?

MICHAEL:

Mr. Greer, you left the scene of anaccident on a slow weeknight, sixmiles from the State Police barracks.

Believe me, if there’s a line, you’reright up front.

MR. GREER

I can get a lawyer any time I want!

You think I need you for that? You

think we’re sitting here forty-fiveminutes waiting for a goddam referral?

MICHAEL:

Look, I don’t know what Walter promisedyou, but whatever it w-

MR. GREER

“Miracle Worker.”

(cutting him cold)

That’s a direct quote. That’s Walter

twenty minutes ago, okay? “Hang tight,

I’m sending you a miracle worker!”

MICHAEL:

Well, he misspoke.

MR. GREER

About what? That you’re the firm’sfixer? Or that you’re any good at it?

MRS. GREER

Elliot...

MR. GREER

This guy was running in the street!

(losing it)

You add the lights -- the rain -the

angle -- what kind of person’sout running in the street in the rainat midnight? Answer me th-

(stopping instantly, as--)

GLASS SHATTERS! -- MRS. GREER just hurled her highball intothe sink. Staring at her husband. Silence, until -

MR. GREER

What if someone had stolen the car?

Happens all the time.

(dead air)

Hypothetically...

This awful pause. MICHAEL wielding the silence like a club.

MICHAEL:

Cops like hit and run cases. They

work them hard and they clear them

fast. Right now, there’s a BCI unit

picking paint chips off a guardrail.

Tomorrow morning they’re gonna be

looking for the owner of a custom-

color, hand-rubbed, green Mercedes SL

500. This guy you hit, if he got alook at the plate, it won’t even takethat long.

Like that -- THE PHONE RINGS -- harsh -- sudden -

MRS. GREER

...omigod...

MICHAEL:

(ignoring the phone)

There’s no play here. There’s no

angle. There’s no champagne room.

And I’m not a miracle worker, I’m a

janitor. So the math on this is

simple:
the smaller the mess, the

easier it is for me to clean up.

THE PHONE STILL RINGING and --

MR. GREER

(small now)

It’s the police, isn’t it?

MICHAEL:

No. They don’t call.

(calmly picking up--)

Hello?

(beat)

Jerry. Hey, it’s Michael...

(pause)

Yeah, sorry. I’m in the neighborhood.

You got a pen?

MICHAEL on hold. Silence now. MR. AND MRS. GREER parkedlike glaciers. Broken glass in the sink.

EXT. WESTCHESTER MANSION DRIVEWAY -- NIGHT

One hour later. MICHAEL leaning on the MERCEDES, munching

on a loaf of stale French bread. Looking over, as JERRYDANTE, local criminal attorney, comes out of the house --

JERRY:

He’s changing his shirt...

(as he arrives)

I talked to my guy at the State Policebarracks. Better we go over there andsurrender and they can tell the towncops to kiss off. This kid he hit,

he’s a waiter at one of those clubs

along the strip there. He’s stable.

I guess they’re putting some pins inhis hip. Good news is he got bustedselling pot last year, so we gotsomething to work with anyway.

MICHAEL:

You don’t need me for this, right?

JERRY:

Couldn’t hurt.

MICHAEL:

I’ll have somebody call you.

JERRY nods. Okay. But lingering a moment, because --

JERRY:

So, Michael, look, I was thinking ofyou last week. My cousin Frank, fromBrooklyn Kings, right? He’s out in

Nassau now. They got an opening onthe probate bench. He’s kind of goingfor it.

MICHAEL:

That’s a tough crowd.

JERRY:

No sh*t. Can I have him call you?

Sure.

MICHAEL:

JERRY:

And don’t worry about this...

(re:
Mr. Greer)

I’ll put my back into it.

MICHAEL nods. Heading for the car and --

EXT. MANSION DRIVEWAY/COUNTRY ROAD -- NIGHT

THE MERCEDES speeding away from the house --

INT. THE MERCEDES -- NIGHT

MICHAEL driving. Escaping. Running from more than Mr. Greer

and Jerry Dante. More than just a bad night boiling behind

his eyes. Driving hard and wild. Turning suddenly and -EXT.

WESTCHESTER COUNTRY ROAD -- NIGHT

THE MERCEDES racing along.

INT. THE MERCEDES -- NIGHT/PRE-DAWN

MICHAEL -- turning again -- aimless -- windows open -cold

air whipping through -- braking suddenly -- impulsive

-- turning -- suddenly -- faster now and --

EXT. NEW COUNTRY ROAD -- PRE-DAWN

First light. A smaller road. THE MERCEDES speeding past

large estates tucked back in the fog and deep woods.

EXT. THE FIELD -- DAWN

A HUGE OPEN PASTURE. Surrounded by forest. The sun just

starting to rise. Cold mist hanging over the whole valley.

Nothing but gray and green. Stark. Perfect.

THE MERCEDES speeding toward us -- climbing around the turn --

eating up the valley road that runs along the pasture -- but

suddenly the car is slowing -- braking hard and --

INT. THE MERCEDES -- DAWN

MICHAEL pulling to a stop. Staring out the window.

EXT. THE FIELD -- DAWN

MICHAEL getting out of the car. Standing there.

THREE HORSES poised at the crest of the pasture. Hanging

there in the fog like ghosts.

MICHAEL jumping the fence. Walking slowly into the field.

Behind him, the MERCEDES with the engine running.

THE HORSES aware of him now. Watching him come.

MICHAEL’S FACE as he walks. And later on we’ll understand

all the forces roiling inside him, but for the moment, thesimplest thing to say is that this is a man who needs more

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