Philadelphia Page #15

Andrew's eyes are closed. Next to him rests a tape player. A

WOMAN'S VOICE IS HEARD, accompanied by NEW AGE MUSIC:

WOMAN'S VOICE

I can heal myself.

ANDREW:

I can heal myself.

WOMAN'S VOICE

I can heal myself.

ANDREW:

I can heal myself.

CUT TO:

ANDREW AND MIGUEL IN THEIR BEDROOM AT NIGHT, LYING CLOSE TO

each other in bed (INT./NIGHT) ...

MIGUEL:

I was coming out of the gym

today, and I ran into Jimmy. Do

you know what he asked me?

"What's it like knowing your

boyfriend's going to die?"

ANDREW:

Jerk... What did you say?

MIGUEL:

I said, "Everyone's going to

die, Jimmy. But Drew's not

going to die of AIDS. There's a

cure around the corner, and he

plans to be around to take

advantage of it."

Miguel strokes Andrew's hair.

ANDREW:

You got that right, Mikey...

(beat)

You still believe that, don't

you?

MIGUEL:

Yes. I think it will be a

simple solution. They'll put it

in a syringe, inject it into

your bloodstream. It'll

neutralize the virus. It'll

revitalize the immune system,

and people with AIDS will become

healthy again.

HOLD ON MIGUEL AND ANDREW, ON THIS QUIET MOMENT.

FADE OUT.

FADE IN:
ESTABLISHING, EXT. PHILADELPHIA COURT HOUSE

(DAY) ...

TITLE:
"Three months later."

CUT TO:

A LONG CORRIDOR IN A CITY COURT BUILDING -- FAR DOWN THE

corridor TWO FIGURES WALK TOWARD CAMERA (INT./DAY) ...

The figures APPROACHING CAMERA are Andrew and Joe, stepping

into and out of sunlight falling through tall windows.

TITLE:
"Pre-trial settlement conference."

REVERSE ANGLE -- DOWN AN OPPOSITE CORRIDOR:

A PHALANX OF LAWYERS -- at least ten -- APPROACHING CAMERA, a

bulwark of white shirts and dark ties.

ON ANDREW AND JOE:

Andrew's hair is short, but growing back, the blotches have

receded,his weight is up. He's in a stage of recovery.

ON THE OTHER LAWYERS:

Charles Wheeler (seeming ironic) and Walter Kenton (he's

pissed) lead the battalion.

Behind them, walk young lawyers BELINDA CONINE and JEROME

GREEN. Belinda is white, Jerome is black.

CUT TO:

HUSHED VOICES (INT./DAY) ...

A JUDGE'S CHAMBERS, with couches, soft chairs scattered in a

loose circle, like a casual living room.

Joe and Andrew whisper to each other. The Wyant Wheeler team

takes up several chairs. Belinda Conine and Jerome Green sit

next to Wheeler and Kenton. Some of their ASSISTANTS stand.

Wheeler is looking across the room at...

Andrew, who catches Wheeler's stare.

WHEELER:

You're looking better, Andy.

How do you feel?

SILENCE. Everyone watches Andrew for his reaction.

ANDREW:

Fine, thanks, Charles.

JUDGE LUCAS GARNETT enters his chambers (not wearing a

Judge's robe). He shakes hands with Wheeler and Kenton.

JUDGE GARNETT:

Charles, Walter...

WHEELER:

Congratulations on the new

grandson.

JUDGE GARNETT:

Thank you. We're very happy.

The Judge brushes by Joe and Andrew without a word. The room

becomes SILENT as the Judge takes a seat.

JUDGE GARNETT:

Attorney for the plaintiff?

JOE:

Joseph Miller, Your Honor.

Macready and Shilts Legal Services.

JUDGE GARNETT:

I've seen your television commercials.

"If you or anyone you know has

been injured through the fault of

others... It should say, "through

the negligence of others."

JOE:

I'll take that under consideration,

Your Honor.

JUDGE GARNETT:

On behalf of the defendants?

BELINDA CONINE:

Belinda Conine. Of Petersen,

Lehigh, Monroe and Smith.

JEROME GREEN:

And Jerome Green.

And a WASPISH lawyer wearing round glasses:

DEXTER SMITH:

Dexter Smith.

A white-haired lawyer next to Belinda:

RALPH PETERSEN:

Ralph Petersen.

JUDGE GARNETT:

(to Joe)

You're outnumbered four to one.

(to the others)

Whom do I address?

I can't talk to four lawyers at

once.

BELINDA:

I'm chief litigator, Your Honor.

JUDGE GARNETT:

Fine. I've asked the litigants to be

present for this conference, in the

hope we can settle this matter

today, among ourselves... There is

nothing I hate more, than to see

lawyers suing each other. If you

look at the opinion polls, when Mr.

John Q. Citizen is asked to rank

professions according to the

respect he holds for them... Where

are the lawyers? Somewhere below

personal fitness trainers and only

slightly above child pornographers.

If we keep suing each other, if we

fail to settle the smallest

difference among ourselves with

mutual respect, if we continue to

scrap like bucks in heat, we'll

fall lower on that list. And when

people lose respect for lawyers,

they lose respect for the law. And

when this society loses all respect

for the law, we'll be murdered in

our beds, my friends, our cherished

institutions will be burned to the

ground and our children and our

grandchildren will live like

savages.

Rate this script:5.0 / 1 vote