Silver Bullet Page #3

JANE:

Oh, no! You never mean to! I hate you,

you booger!

She runs away.

EXT. THE TREE, WITH BRADY

He swings down and comes over to MARTY.

BRADY (with satisfaction)

Really got her goat that time.

EXT. MARTY

He's in a wheelchair, looking glumly after JANE.

MARTY:

Oh, shut up, Brady. You're warped.

EXT. NEAR THE BANDSTAND, FEATURING JANE DAY

She's walking slowly along, still crying a little. Now she

steps behind some bushes, looks around, hikes up the skirt

of her jumper, and wriggles out of the wrecked panty hose.

STELLA RANDOLPH (voice)

Wait! Don't go!

Startled, JANE looks around, instinctively yanking her dress

down. No one in sight.

MAN (voice; rough)

Just leave me alone!

Now she looks toward:

EXT. THE BANDSTAND, JANE'S POV

A man who looks like he might be a traveling salesman who

has just stepped whole and breathing from a dirty joke about

the farmer's daughter comes striding down from the

bandstand.

STELLA RANDOLPH, a plump but sweetly pretty girl, comes to

the stairs but does not descend them. She is also crying -

but these are real tears, folks. STELLA is a human Niagara

Falls.

STELLA (calls)

Please! You have to help me!

EXT. THE GAY DECEIVER

DECEIVER (keeps walking)

It's your oven, but it ain't my bun

you're baking in there. Sorry, babe.

B.g. SOUNDS:
More applause.

EXT. JANE

We can hear STELLA sobbing as JANE walks slowly toward the

bandstand with her panty hose still balled up in one hand.

JANE looks suddenly aware that she's not the only one in

this sad world who has troubles. She reaches the foot of the

stairs going up to the bandstand and tosses the hose

absently in a litter can.

JANE mounts the steps timidly.

JANE:

Stella? Is that you?

EXT. ON THE BANDSTAND

STELLA has retreated to one of the benches, where she is

bawling into a handful of Kleenex. Pudgy and twenty-two, she

is both funny and terribly sad. She looks around at the

sound of JANE's voice.

STELLA (alarmed)

Who - ?

JANE (approaching closer)

It's Jane, Stella. Jane Coslaw.

STELLA sees it is, and turns away from her, still weeping.

JANE stands, uncertain what to do next. After a moment she

approaches closer and touches STELLA'S turned back timidly.

JANE (tenderly)

What's wrong?

STELLA (weeping)

He's going away. I know he is.

JANE:

Who's going away?

STELLA turns to her, weeping still and distracted.

STELLA:

What am I going to tell my mother? If

he won't marry me, what am I going to

tell my mother?

JANE (bewildered)

Stella, I don't know what-

STELLA:

Oh, leave me alone! Just leave me

alone, you stupid thing!

STELLA lumbers across the bandstand and down the steps. JANE

stares after her, bewildered and perhaps even a little

frightened.

INT. THE PODIUM, WITH REV. O'BANION

O'BANION

Let us pray.

INT. THE TOWN HALL GATHERING

Most of them bow their heads.

INT. REV. O'BANION, AT THE PODIUM

O'BANION

May the Grace of God shine upon those

gathered here... and lift them up... and

grant success to the endeavor to which

they have so openheartedly declared their

support. Amen.

INT. THE GATHERING

They raise their heads. Some echo the "Amen." Others cross

themselves.

EXT. THE PICNIC AREA

People are coming out and getting ready to chow-down.

EXT. THE COSLAW STATION WAGON DAY

Traveling along a country road. Headed home.

INT. THE STATION WAGON DAY

BOB and NAN COSLAW are sitting up front. MARTY and JANE are

in the backseat. JANE is as far from MARTY as she can get.

She's still mad as hell. Band-Aids crisscross her knees.

MARTY'S wheelchair is collapsed in the cargo area of the

wagon.

NAN turns around to look at the kids - and it's really JANE

she's mad at.

NAN:

I want you two to bury the hatchet.

You're being very silly, Jane.

JANE (hot)

Did you see my knees?

MARTY:

Jane, I-

NAN:

I think you're being mean as well as

silly. Your brother has never had a

scraped knee in his whole life.

Well, here it is - the chief source of JANE'S animus against

her brother and the source of most of the tension in the

COSLAW family.

MARTY winces and turns away a little, embarrassed - this

always happens. He doesn't like it, but he doesn't know how

to make his parents - his mother in particular - quit it.

JANE:

You always take his side because he's a

cripple! Well, it's not my fault that he's

a cripple!

MARTY:

Come on, Jane- it was Brady's idea. I

couldn't stop him.

JANE:

Brady's a booger and so are you!

NAN:

Jane Coslaw!

BOB (roars)

Stop it or I'll throw the whole bunch of

you out!

In this traditional family unit, BOB is the Voice of

Authority. They all heed, although the atmosphere remains

thundery.

INT. THE STATION WAGON DAY

Train tracks run near the road.

INT. THE STATION WAGON, ENSEMBLE DAY

BOB (points)

That's where poor old Arnie Westrum

pitched his last drunk.

He crosses himself and they all look toward:

EXT. THE GS&WM RAILROAD TRACKS (STATION WAGON'S POV)

INT. THE CAR DAY

BOB:

They had to pick up what was left of

him in a peach basket.

JANE:

Oh, Daddy! Gross!

MARTY:

Did he really get his head cut off, Dad?

That's what Brady said.

JANE:

If you don't stop it I'm going to vomit.

I mean it.

NAN (no sympathy)

You're not going to vomit, Jane. And I

think we've all had quite enough of this

horror-movie talk.

INT. MARTY, CLOSER DAY

Craning back to look at the spot where ARNIE bit the dust.

His face is thoughtful, solemn.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. THE COSLAW HOUSE NIGHT

JANE is lying in bed, her face to the wall. Dim light falls

on her unhappy face as the door is opened.

MARTY (v-o)

Janey?... Are you awake?

JANE says nothing.

INT. THE DOOR TO JANE'S BEDROOM, WITH MARTY NIGHT

He is in his "house wheelchair" - not the Silver Bullet (he

was in the Bullet during the Common scene, but we didn't get

a very good look at it). He has some stuff on his lap. A

box, for sure.

MARTY:

Can I come in?

INT. JANE

Her eyes are open but she says nothing. Just looks at the

wall.

INT. MARTY

He rolls across to her bed and puts something on her night

table. SOUND of change and a rattle of paper. She rolls over

and sees he's put about three bucks on the table. Plus a can

of mixed nuts.

JANE:

What's the money for?

MARTY:

A new pair of panty hose. Is it enough?

JANE:

I don't want your money. You're a booger.

MARTY:

It was Brady's idea, Jane. Honest to God.

Please take the money. I want to make up.

She looks at him and sees he's sincere - honestly contrite.

She softens. There's hope for these two kids yet, maybe.

JANE:

I can get a pair of L'Eggs down at the

pharmacy for a dollar forty-nine. Here.

She pushes the rest back to him, then looks at the can. She

picks it up, curious.

MARTY:

That's for you, too. Uncle Al gave it

to me-

JANE (scorn)

That drunk!

MARTY:

-but I want you to have it.

He gives her a warm, melting smile. When your little brother

is being good to you it's time to watch out - but JANE has

been lulled. She starts to open it, then looks questioningly

at him.

MARTY:

Yeah, go ahead.

She opens it. A long paper snake - the kind with a spring

inside it - leaps out. She shrieks.

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