Phone Booth Page #8

It's a bright afternoon. In the distance, we hear the

maddening HONKING of uptown traffic that is now being

rerouted, creating a huge bottleneck and raising the anger of

irate motorists and bus drivers whose horns provide their

simplest form of protest. It's a discordant concert that

echoes the confusion and frustration which Stu now feels...

As the cops surround the booth -- at a distance.

SERGEANT:

(into bullhorn)

Throw down your weapon and come out

with your hands raised.

STU:

(into phone)

They're ordering me to come out.

VOICE:

I can see that. Ignore them.

STU:

What if they open fire?

VOICE:

They probably won't. Look across

on the east side of the street. Do

you see the tourist with the home

video camera?

STU'S POV

A distant crowd gathering on the opposite west side corner

behind the police cars. Some tourist is capturing the event

on video.

BACK TO STU:

STU:

What about him?

VOICE:

He's going to keep the police on

their best behavior. So long as

you don't take what could be

interpreted as hostile action,

you'll be safe.

STU:

You call this safe? Six cops with

guns pointed my way?

VOICE:

You want me to reduce them to three

-- or two?

STU:

Absolutely no more shooting. Now

is that clear?

VOICE:

You can always change your mind.

SERGEANT:

(with bullhorn)

You know the drill. Hands clasped

behind the back of your neck --

moving slowly -- step out of the

booth. If we see any sign of a

weapon, we will respond.

STU:

(shouts)

You won't, because there isn't any.

SERGEANT:

(bullhorn)

I repeat. Raise your hands.

STU:

I can't. I'm on a phone call.

Now a black POLICE CAPTAIN arrives and takes full command of

the situation.

CAPTAIN RAMEY:

You have thirty seconds to comply.

STU:

I told you. I'm busy. Come back

later.

VOICE:

Very good, Stu.

The cops take cover behind parked cars, keeping Stu clearly

in their sights. He has no place to hide. He's in the

battered phone booth in plain view from all sides.

RAMEY:

You've been given an order.

The Sergeant slides up beside the Captain to confer.

PRODUCTION NOTE:
We remain in LONG SHOT of the cops -- always

from Stu's POV. But we can hear their voices and all that is

said as if they were in close up. It has an odd, unreal and

distancing effect.

SERGEANT:

We're dealing with a mental case.

He's looking for us to kill him.

RAMEY:

Well he's not getting his wish.

In the center of the street, an ambulance pulls up and a team

of medics jump out. They rush to Leon's body. (Again we

hear their voices close, even though visually they are far

off.)

FELICIA:

Tell me he's gonna be alright.

MEDIC:

Step aside. Let us look at him.

The medics push her aside -- then examine the victim. He's

DOA.

MEDIC:

Nothing we can do. Don't touch the

body. They'll need it to mark the

crime scene.

Far across the street, the Captain confers with his

subordinates. They are small figures on the screen but we

hear them sharply.

SERGEANT:

Same corner as two weeks ago.

RAMEY:

Maybe it's more than a coincidence.

Cover me. I need to talk to him.

SERGEANT:

You've got your vest on?

RAMEY:

What do you think?

The Captain steps out of cover and boldly approaches the

phone booth. He stops cautiously about fifteen feet away.

RAMEY:

I'm not armed.

STU:

Neither am I.

RAMEY:

Yeah, sure. I need to know what

happened.

STU:

Can't talk about it.

RAMEY:

Sure you can. My name's Ramey.

Captain Ed Ramey. What's yours?

STU:

Look, I don't want to be friends.

RAMEY:

You look like you need a friend.

VOICE:

Tell him you've already got a

friend.

STU:

(yells)

I've got a friend, okay.

RAMEY:

Is that who you're talking to on

the phone?

STU:

None of your business.

RAMEY:

When somebody gets shot, it becomes

my business. Let's not have

anybody else killed. I want to

hear your side of it.

STU:

I've got no side of it.

VOICE:

Don't worry, Stu. I've got him

fixed right in my sights. I won't

let him hurt you.

RAMEY:

Has this happened to you before?

The need to hurt someone? To put a

bullet in them?

STU:

You won't believe anything I say.

RAMEY:

Try me.

STU:

I couldn't shoot anybody. I'm not

armed.

RAMEY:

You're right. I don't believe you.

What's that bulge in your pants

pocket?

STU:

That? That's my cellular.

RAMEY:

A cellular? Then what are you

doing in a phone booth making

calls?

STU:

Do you want to see it?

RAMEY:

Don't reach for it, mister.

STU:

Then how can I show it to you?

RAMEY:

I don't need to see it. I know

what's there. All these witnesses

saw you use it on him.

From behind a parked car, a HOMELESS PERSON calls out.

STREET PERSON:

(hollers)

Damn straight!

Another DERELICT, crouched in a doorway, joins in.

DERELICT:

(shouts)

Yeah! Shot him down like a dog!

STU:

They're all lying. Nobody saw it

because it didn't happen.

RAMEY:

A man is dead but it didn't happen.

STU:

Not on account of me! This is like

some bad dream.

RAMEY:

You're walking through a bad dream

and you can't wake up. Do you want

to wake up?

STU:

I'm trying.

RAMEY:

And in this dream, you killed that

man. He was bothering you so you

iced him.

STU:

No.

RAMEY:

Then who did?

VOICE:

Don't tell him, Stu. Or it'll be

the last thing he ever hears. His

blood will be on your hands.

STU:

(to Ramey)

I don't know.

RAMEY:

But you saw it happen?

STU:

Yes.

RAMEY:

You were the closest one to him.

You must've seen who did it.

STU:

No.

RAMEY:

We're trying to be honest with each

other, aren't we?

STU:

Not necessarily.

VOICE:

I'm losing patience with this cop.

STU:

(into phone)

I'm handling this.

RAMEY:

Who do you keep talking to on the

phone?

STU:

Nobody. My psychiatrist.

VOICE:

Excellent, Stu. You're getting

good at this.

RAMEY:

What's this doctor's name? It's

important we know.

STU:

He says not to tell you. It's

privileged information.

VOICE:

Damn good reply. Now you're having

fun. Admit it.

STU:

Whatever you say.

VOICE:

Playing it so close to the edge.

I'll bet you've never felt so

alive. That's how I feel when I

look through the sight and select

somebody.

The Captain begins advancing a few steps closer.

RAMEY:

I respect your right to privacy.

I've been to therapy myself. The

department provides it. I know

it's not good form for a cop to be

admitting that, but...

VOICE:

Tell him not to come any closer.

STU:

Stop right there. Back up a few

steps. Back where you were.

RAMEY:

If it makes you more comfortable.

VOICE:

Tell him to read you your rights.

STU:

I want you to read me my rights and

stop asking questions.

RAMEY:

Al least tell me your first name.

STU:

It's my right not to have any name.

RAMEY:

No gun and no name. You're a

highly underprivileged person.

VOICE:

Demand a lawyer.

STU:

And get me a lawyer, too. I want a

lawyer brought down here to

negotiate my surrender.

VOICE:

Brilliant, Stu. Keep winging it.

RAMEY:

It'll be hard to find a lawyer

willing to risk his life. But if

you hand over the gun...

STU:

How can I when you won't let me

take it out?

RAMEY:

We'll take it out for you -- as

soon as you exit the booth with

your hands raised and...

STU:

(interrupts)

Now we're back to that again. It's

always "Get out of the booth.'

'You can't stay in the booth.'

Well, I like it in the f***ing

booth. It's my whole world now.

It's my booth and I'm never coming

out.

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