Shawshank Redemption Page #11

98EXT -- BASEBALL DIAMOND -- DAY (1952) 98

A BATTER in a "Noresby Marauders" baseball uniform WHACKS the

ball high into left field and races for first.

RED (V.O.)

Year after that, they rescheduled

the start of the intramural season

to coincide with tax season...

99INT -- PRISON LIBRARY/ANDY'S OFFICE -- DAY (1952) 99

The Batter sits across from Andy. The line winds out the door.

RED (V.O.)

The guards on the opposing teams

all remembered to bring their W-2's.

ANDY:

Moresby Prison issued you that gun,

but you actually had to pay for it?

THE BATTER:

Damn right, and the holster too.

ANDY:

See, that's all deductible. You get

to write that off.

RED (V.O.)

Yes sir, Andy was a regular H&R

Block. In fact, he got so busy at

tax time, he was allowed a staff.

ANGLE SHIFTS to reveal Red and Brooks doing filing chores.

ANDY:

Say Red, could you hand me a stack

of those 1040s?

RED (V.O.)

Got me out of the wood shop a month

out of the year, and that was fine

by me.

100INT -- GUARD DESK/NORTON'S OUTER OFFICE -- DAY (1953) 100

Andy enters and drops a letter on the outgoing stack.

RED (V.O.)

And still he kept sending those

letters...

101INT -- ANDY'S CELL -- NIGHT (1953) 101

Dark. Andy's in his bunk, polishing a four-inch length of

quartz. It's a beautifully-crafted chess piece in the shape of

a horse's head, poise and nobility captured in gleaming stone.

He puts the knight on a chess board by his bed, adding it to

four pieces already there: a king, a queen, and two bishops.

He turns to Rita. Moonlight casts bars across her face.

102EXT -- EXERCISE YARD -- DAY (1954) 102

Floyd runs into the yard, scared and winded. He finds Andy and

Red on the bleachers.

FLOYD:

Red? Andy? It's Brooks.

103INT -- PRISON LIBRARY/ANDY'S OFFICE -- DAY (1954) 103

Floyd rushes in with Andy and Red at his heels. They find

Jigger and Snooze trying to calm Brooks, who has Heywood in a

chokehold and a knife to his throat. Heywood is terrified.

JIGGER:

C'mon, Brooksie, why don't you just

calm the f*** down, okay?

BROOKS:

Goddamn miserable puke-eatin' sons

of whores!

He kicks a table over. Tax files explode through the air.

RED:

What the hell's going on?

SNOOZE:

You tell me, man. One second he was

fine, then out came the knife. I

better get the guards.

RED:

No. We'll handle this. Ain't that

right, Brooks? Just settle down and

we'll talk about it, okay?

BROOKS:

Nothing left to talk about! It's all

talked out! Nothing left now but to

cut his f***in' throat!

RED:

Why? What's Heywood done to you?

BROOKS:

That's what they want! It's the

price I gotta pay!

Andy steps forward, rivets Brooks with a gaze. Softly:

ANDY:

Brooks, you're not going to hurt

Heywood, we all know that. Even

Heywood knows it, right Heywood?

HEYWOOD:

(nods, terrified)

Sure. I know that. Sure.

ANDY:

Why? Ask anyone, they'll tell you.

Brooks Hatlen is a reasonable man.

RED:

(cuing nods all around)

Yeah, that's right. That's what

everybody says.

ANDY:

You're not fooling anybody, so just

put the damn knife down and stop

scaring the sh*t out of people.

BROOKS:

But it's the only way they'll let

me stay.

Brooks bursts into tears. The storm is over. Heywood staggers

free, gasping for air. Andy takes the knife, passes it to Red.

Brooks dissolves into Andy's arms with great heaving sobs.

ANDY:

Take it easy. You'll be all right.

HEYWOOD:

Him? What about me? Crazy old

fool! Goddamn near slit my throat!

RED:

You've had worse from shaving.

What'd you do to set him off?

HEYWOOD:

Nothin'! Just came in to say

fare-thee-well.

(off their looks)

Ain't you heard? His parole came

through!

Red and Andy exchange a surprised look. Andy wants to

understand. Red just motions to let it be for now. He puts his

arm around Brooks, who sobs inconsolably. Softly:

RED:

Ain't that bad, old hoss. Won't be

long till you're squiring pretty

young girls on your arm and telling

'em lies.

104EXT -- PRISON YARD BLEACHERS -- DUSK (1954) 104

ANDY:

I just don't understand what

happened in there, that's all.

HEYWOOD:

Old man's crazy as a rat in a tin

shithouse, is what.

RED:

Heywood, enough. Ain't nothing

wrong with Brooksie. He's just

institutionalized, that's all.

HEYWOOD:

Institutionalized, my ass.

RED:

Man's been here fifty years. This

place is all he knows. In here,

he's an important man, an educated

man. A librarian. Out there, he's

nothing but a used-up old con with

arthritis in both hands. Couldn't

even get a library card if he

applied. You see what I'm saying?

FLOYD:

Red, I do believe you're talking

out of your ass.

RED:

Believe what you want. These walls

are funny. First you hate 'em, then

you get used to 'em. After long

enough, you get so you depend on

'em. That's "institutionalized."

JIGGER:

Sh*t. I could never get that way.

ERNIE:

(softly)

Say that when you been inside as

long as Brooks has.

RED:

Goddamn right. They send you here

for life, and that's just what they

take. Part that counts, anyway.

105EXT -- SHAWSHANK PRISON -- DAWN (1954) 105

The sun rises over gray stone.

106INT -- ANDY'S CELL -- DAWN (1954) 106

ANGLE ON RITA POSTER. Sexy as ever. The rising sun sends

fingers of rosy light creeping across her face.

107INT -- LIBRARY -- DAWN (1954) 107

Brooks stands on a chair, poised at the bars of a window,

cradling Jake in his hands.

BROOKS:

I can't take care of you no more.

You go on now. You're free.

He tosses Jake through the bars. The crow flaps away.

108EXT -- SHAWSHANK PRISON -- MAIN GATE -- DAY (1954) 108

TWO SHORT SIREN BLASTS herald the opening of the gate. It

swings hugely open, revealing Brooks standing in his cheap

suit, carrying a cheap bag, wearing a cheap hat.

Brooks walks out, tears streaming down his face. He looks

back. Red, Andy, and others stand at the inner fence, seeing

him off. The massive gate closes, wiping them from view.

109INT -- BUS -- DAY (1954) 109

Brooks is riding the bus, clutching the seat before him,

gripped by terror of speed and motion.

BROOKS (V.O.)

Dear Fellas. I can't believe how

fast things move on the outside.

110EXT -- STREET -- PORTLAND, MAINE -- DAY (1954) 110

Brooks looks like a kid trying to cross the street without his

parents. People and traffic a blur.

BROOKS (V.O.)

I saw an automobile once when I was

young. Now they're everywhere.

111EXT -- BREWSTER HOTEL -- DAY (1954) 111

Brooks comes trudging up the sidewalk. He glances up as a

prop-driven airliner streaks in low overhead.

BROOKS (V.O.)

The world went and got itself in a

big damn hurry.

Rate this script:3.2 / 12 votes