My Cousin Vinny Page #2

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up. The deputy rests his pistol on the door

DEPUTY fl

GET OUT OF THE CAR AND PUT YOUR

HANDS ON YOUR HEAD

INT. LINEUP - BILL AND STAN AND OTHERS

Stan and Bill are led into a makeshift lineup room, where they

"~ stand along a group of men - none looking remotely like Bill

or Stan. Bright, blinding lights. They have to squint

v\'

STAN:

(whispering to Bill)

Ridiculous -- all this over a can

of tuna!

VOICE:

(firmly)

KEEP QUIET:

EXT. SAC-0-SUDS - DAY

SHERIFF FARLEY - a man aged around 50 - is watchi.ng the dead

body of the Cashier being photographed

(CONTINUED)

--~----------------.--........-__.._-.-..-.,...-.·..~....-,.~-. .-..-, .,-.·--.·,·-·-"-".-

8,

-x

A Deputy enters and whispers to Farley

DEPUTY:

I think we may get a confession

Farley leaves the shop. He passes a woman, who is very upset

WOMAN:

I just heard that someone shot

Jimmy Willis'?

FARLEY:

He's dead

WOMAN:

Oh my God, who would do such

thing'?

FARLEY:

A couple of boys from New York,

I believe. They were just picked

out of the line-up

INT. HOLDING ROOM - BILL

Bill is alone in a small windowless room. Farley enters,

holding a clipboard, Bill is filled with deep remorse. A sign

says:
NO GUNSA LLOWEDIN THE CELLS

FARLEY:

Hello Bill, I'm Sheriff Farley

BILL:

Hi

FARLEY:

You know why you're here?

BILL:

Yeah, I know

(with deep remorse)

It was a stupid thing to do

FARLEY:

Have you been made aware of your

rights'?

(Bill nods)

You're willing to waive that

right'?

(CONTINUED)

BILL:

Yes. I'm willing to cooperate

fully. I'll sign a statement,

or whatever makes this whole thing

easier

FARLEY:

Good ••• good ••. good ••

BILL:

But, I want you to know that Stan

had nothing to do with it

FARLEY:

Was he there when you did it?

BILL:

Yes, but he didn't know what was

going on

FARLEY:

Did he help you plan it?

BILL:

No. I mean, it wasn't planned

out. It just ••• happened ••

FARLEY:

Did Stan try to stop you at

anytime?

BILL:

No ••

The Sheriff scribbles something on a pad

BILL:

Why? Is that a big deal?

FARLEY:

Aiding and abetting

BILL:

(surprised)

Aiding and abetting. Is that like

a major thing?

FARLEY:

Oh yeah

BILL:

What could they do to him?

( CONTINUED)

10 CONTINUED:
( 2)

.Xl

J(

FARLEY:

It depends. If he really didn't

know what was going on - but he

didn't turn you in - it could

be ... 10-20 years

Bill is floored

INT - CORRIDOR

Farley leaves Bill's room, enters Stan's. Door slams shut

STAN'S ROOM - CLOSE ON STAN

STAN:

An 'accessory'? Are you guys

kidding? An 'accessory'? I

didn't help. I didn't plan it ••

FARLEY:

But you didn't try to stop it?

STAN:

I didn't know it was happening!

I found out later, in the car

FARLEY:

Why didn't you get out? Call the

police then?

STAN:

He's my friend!

FARLEY:

Your friend has put you in a lott

trouble

STAN:

What's going to happen to Bill?

FARLEY:

(goes to door)

Nothin' - unless he's convicted

'Course, if he is, we're gonn

run enough electricity through

him to light up Birmingham

Stan scoffs. Door slams and echoes

-· X

BILL'S ROOM

Farley's back, but this time with the Deputy 14 and cassette

recorder

BILL:

... we were friends at NYU and

we both applied and got

scholarships to UCLA. So ••• we

figure the weather and the scenery

would be nicer going through the

south ••

CLOSE SHOT - THE CASSETTE TURNING - LATER

BILL:

••• then I forgot about the can

of tuna fish. And then ... we left

FARLEY:

(beat)

You left? What do you mean? Did

he catch you with the tuna fish?

Is that how it started?

BILL:

No, he didn't say anything

FARLEY:

But, he knew about it?

BILL:

I don't know

FARLEY:

Let's talk about that for

moment. You paid for the

groceries. And then what?

BILL:

we went out to the ~ar. That's

it. ,FARLEY

But ••• when did you shoot him?

BILL:

What?

FARLEY:

At what point did

clerk?

you shoot the

.,-

( CONTINUED)

,-

l

X:

BILL:

(completely confused,

rolling the words over)

I shot the clerk

FARLEY:

Yes, when did you shoot him?

BILL:

(gives questioning look

to Farley)

I shot the clerk

Farley nods. Bill is thoroughly dumbfounded

BILL:

Uh ••

Another Deputy comes in

DEPUTY:

Hey Dean, we need you out here

FARLEY:

I'm in the middle of a damn

confession

Frustrated, Farley sighs and exits, taking the Deputy with him

BILL:

Wait a second!

But they're gone

INT. CORRIDOR - DAY

Bill's handcuffed, sitting on a bench, when Stan, who is

handcuffed too, is led in. Bill's scared

STAN:

What's the matter?

BILL:

Do you know what this is all

about?

STAN:

Yeah - they're f***ing with us

BILL:

You don't believe them?

(CONTINUED)

r ,,

CONTINUED:

STAN:

No way. They don't execute for

shoplifting

BILL:

You think we're being booked for

shoplifting?

STAN:

You're being booked tor

shoplifting, I'm being booked for

accessory to shoplifting

BILL:

No, I'm being booked for murder

You're being booked for accessory

to murder

DEPUTY SHERIFF:

Time to make your phone calls

He leads. Dazed, th~y follow

BILL:

Is there anyway you can contact

your parents?

STAN:

How? Call the Chilean Consulate?

What're they going to do? send

a guide into the mountains looking

tor them?

(beat)

We have to call an attorney -

great attorney -- do you know

any great attorneys?

BILL:

No. I'm calling my mother~,, ,.-

Bill picks up the phone and dials

BILL:

Hello, Ma? This is Bill

(beat)

We're in Wahzoo

(beat)

It's in Beechum County, Alabam(with difficulty)

Not too good. Uh •.. we've been

arrested

(more)

(CONTINUED)

13,

13 CONTINUED:
( 2)

BILL (Cont'd)

(reacting to hysteria)

Mom, Please ..• Mom. Mom •

(s.h.e.'s "calmed", then )

First of all, we didn't do it

(beat)

Uh ••• well ••• murder

(reacting to her

hysteria)

Mom, please, Mom, please

, (beat)

It's a f*** up, excuse me Ma, its

a mistake. We must look like the

guys who did it

STAN:

Tall her what we think ••

BILL:

We think they're setting us up

as patsies. You know how corrupt

it is down here - they all know

each other ••

STAN:

The Klan's here, they're inbred,

they sleep with their sisters •(he realizes the guard

is glaring at him)

••• some of them do

BILL:

We gotta get an attorney. It's

going to cost a lot of money

A decent

thousand

STAN:

one? Fifty,

dollars ,,

a hundred

(CONTINUED)

BILL:

(to phone)

50, maybe a hundred thou

(beat, excited)

I know!

(beat, to Stan)

can we use any attorney?

STAN:

I think so

BILL:

(to Mom)

Ohl He is?! That's a great ideal ,

That's a great ideal You think

he'd do it?

(to Stan)

we got an attorney in the family!

STAN:

Who?

BILL:

My cousin, Vinny

.)( 14 EXT. BACKO F COURTHOUS-E DAY

y( -l

,•

thru

Stan and Bill are escorted into prison van. cra~e down from

high angle to 2 shot of Stan and Bill as the van doors slam

shut

INT. VAN - STAN AND BILL - DAY

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