Silver Bullet Page #2

EXT. THE RAIL-RIDER AND ARNIE'S HEADLESS BODY NIGHT

Slowly the view improves, grows lighter, as we TIME-LAPSE TO

DAWN.

SOUND:
A train is approaching. We hear its horn.

CAMERA MOVES IN. Here is a shattered Rheingold bottle. There

is a litter of ARNIE'S tools. And here, on the cheek of

ARNIE'S severed head, a few ants are checking things out.

SOUND:
The train's horn, MUCH CLOSER.

JANE (v-o)

The county coroner concluded that Arnie

passed out on the tracks. There wasn't

enough evidence to conclude anything else.

And suddenly the train comes smashing into the frame, horn

blaring. The rail-rider goes flying. ARNIE'S body disappears

underneath. We see something flopping and moving under

there. It could be a bundle of rags. Could be... but isn't.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. TARKER'S MILLS TOWN COMMON DAY

The common is more or less in the center of town, either

surrounded by Main Street commerce or backed by it. THE

CAMERA MOVES SLOWLY IN on a big tent that's been erected on

the Common - looks like a revival meeting tent, almost, but

the banner draped over the entrance reads: SUPPORT THE

TARKER'S MILLS MEDCU DRIVE!

Behind or to the side, on the grass, picnic tables have been

set out end-to-end. Women are putting salads and home-baked

breads on these - just about the whole town is going to sit

down to a meal when the meeting's over. Further off, men are

tending barbecues, roasting corn, etc.

JOE HALLER (amplified voice)

I'd like to give you Father Lester Lowe,

of Holy Family Catholic Church!

Enthusiastic applause greets this.

INT. THE CROWD DAY

Most of the town is here, seated on folding chairs. We're

looking particularly at three people - NAN COSLAW, her

husband BOB, and their fourteen-year-old daughter, JANE. It

is JANE - a slightly older JANE - who we have heard

speaking. She is now a bit bored with the meeting, which has

been going on for some time. As the APPLAUSE CONTINUES, she

leans toward her mother.

JANE:

I'm going out for a while, 'kay?

NAN:

All right. Stay close. And make sure your

brother's all right.

As JANE gets up, the applause starts to fade a bit.

NOTE:
JANE is wearing a silver crucifix, and will continue

to wear it through the whole movie.

INT. THE PODIUM DAY

To one side is a big black-and-white photograph on an easel.

It shows a van which has been customized into an emergency

medical unit.

Behind the podium are four chairs. REV. TOM O'BANION sits in

one of them. ANDY FAIRTON sits in another, red-faced and

beaming. JOE HALLER, the town constable, is just returning

to his; LESTER LOWE is just approaching the mike as the

applause dies. LOWE'S face shines with love and goodwill.

LOWE:

For the last ten years...

No amplification. He taps the mike.

INT. JANE

She is making her way down the row to the aisle (the people

should be seated in folding chairs). She passes a GIRL of

about her own age who has overheard NAN'S parting shot.

GIRL (mocking)

"Make sure your brother's all right."

JANE (low)

Marty's a booger.

She reaches the aisle and starts out.

INT. THE PODIUM, FEATURING FATHER LOWE

He taps the mike again.

INT. THE CROWD, FEATURING BOB AND NAN COSLAW

BOB (good-natured)

Just pretend you're in your own church

askin' for money, father! It'll work fine!

Good-natured laughter greets this.

INT. LOWE AT THE PODIUM

A bit flustered, he taps the mike and is rewarded by a BRIEF

SCREAM OF FEEDBACK.

LOWE:

For the last ten years, I have had a

dream. A dream of a time when modern

medical care would come to this small

community, which sometimes seems so far

from Durham, with her lifesaving

hospitals. I hope that this meeting, at

which I see so many of my friends

gathered, will be the start of making my

dream come true.

SOUND:
Enthusiastic applause.

EXT. A SNAKE IN THE GRASS, CU

It's a blacksnake... harmless, but big. It goes wriggling

through the grass toward a stream. In the b.g. - SOUND OF

APPLAUSE.

MARTY (voice)

Holy...! Brady, are you sure they're

not poisonous?

BRADY (voice)

Little old blacksnake? Hell, no!

Hands - the rather grimy hands of a boy bent on mischief -

grab the blacksnake.

EXT. MARTY AND BRADY, CU

BRADY holds the snake up. Both boys gaze at it with

respectful wonder.

NOTE:
MARTY is wearing a silver St. Cristopher's medallion,

and will through the whole movie.

MARTY:

Lemme hold him!

BRADY hands it over. As MARTY looks at the snake, BRADY

sees:

EXT. JANE, COMING OUT OF THE TENT DAY

JANE (v-o)

I was almost fifteen that summer. My

brother Marty was eleven. Marty and his

friend Brady Kincaid were the crosses I

had to bear. Brady was actually the worse

of the two, but I was rarely disposed to

see that. Not when my younger brother was

so constantly thrown in my face by my

parents.

LOWE (v-o from the tent)

$32,000 is a lot of money. But when you

think of the lives this unit might save, it

seems very inexpensive indeed.

Applause greets this.

EXT. MARTY AND BRADY

Again we are fairly tight on the boys - we see them from

waist or chest height. BRADY snatches back the snake.

BRADY:

I got an idea.

MARTY:

What?

BRADY looks toward JANE. MARTY follows his gaze. His eyes

widen.

MARTY:

You wouldn't.

BRADY grins. MARTY assesses the grin.

MARTY:

You would.

INT. THE PODIUM, WITH LOWE

LOWE:

An endeavor like this seems to me to be

the very definition of community - all

of us pulling together as one, farmers

and merchants... Protestants and Catholics...

EXT. JANE

She is walking slowly toward the picnic area, and is passing

under a tree. There's more applause from the tent.

BRADY (teasing voice)

Jane... Jane...

She looks up. The blacksnake dangles down toward her, almost

touching her upturned face.

JANE shrieks and bolts. She gets a little way, trips over

her own feet and falls down hard. She's wearing what was a

nice jumper and nylons. Now the jumper is torn and the hose

shredded at the knees.

EXT. THE TREE, WITH BRADY

He's lying over a limb with the snake in his hand, laughing

wildly.

EXT. JANE

She gets up, looks at her clothes, her bloody knees. She's

near tears.

EXT. MARTY, AT ONE SIDE OF THE TREE, FAIRLY TIGHT

The shot's from the chest up. He looks sorry he was a part

of this little stunt, as he ought to be.

MARTY:

It was just a blacksnake, Jane-

EXT. JANE

She looks around at him in a fury of embarrassment and

something very close to hate.

JANE:

Look at my knees! Look at my dress!

I hate you!

EXT. BRADY, UP IN THE TREE

BRADY:

Did wittle Janie make wee-wee in her

teddies?

EXT. MARTY

MARTY:

Stop it, Brady.

EXT. BRADY, UP IN THE TREE

He throws the snake.

EXT. JANE

She dodges the snake with a little scream. She's beginning

to cry, but she flips BRADY the bird just the same.

EXT. BRADY, IN THE TREE

BRADY:

Ooooh, naughty!

EXT. MARTY

He moves toward JANE - there is something queerly unnatural

in this movement, and in a moment we'll understand, but for

the time being we must be puzzled.

MARTY:

Jane, I'm sorry. It was just a joke. We

didn't mean-

He's reached her. JANE is sobbing now, hysterical.

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